Choosing the size of a screen, whether for a PC, a TV, a tablet, a camera, a cell phone or a smartphone, can be difficult. We're always stuck on whether to choose it in inches or centimeters. In this article, we give you relevant information and tips to select screen size.
I invite you to look at the screens that are the most sold at the moment in France at the same time:
Screen size table inches / cm :
| Screen type | Diagonal in inches | Diagonal in cm | Format | Width x Height (cm) | Surface area (cm²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Telephone | 3,5″ | 8.9 cm | 16/9 | 7.7 x 4.4 cm | 33.8 cm2 |
| Telephone | 3,5″ | 7.5 cm | 16/10 | 7.5 x 4.7 cm | 35.5 cm2 |
| Telephone | 4″ | 10.2 cm | 16/9 | 8.9 x 5 cm | 44.1 cm² (1.2 in²) |
| Telephone | 5″ | 12.7 cm | 16/9 | 11.1 x 6.2 cm | 68.9 cm2 |
| Telephone | 6″ | 15.2 cm | 16/9 | 13.3 x 7.5 cm | 99.2 cm2 |
| Tablet | 7″ | 17.8 cm | 16/9 | 15.5 x 8.7 cm | 135.1 cm² of surface area |
| Tablet | 8″ | 20.3 cm | 16/9 | 17.7 x 10 cm | 176.4 cm² of surface area |
| Tablet | 9″ | 22.9 cm | 16/9 | 19.9 x 11.2 cm | 223.3 cm² (8.5 in²) |
| Computer | 10″ | 25.4 cm | 16/9 | 22.1 x 12.5 cm | 275.7 cm² (7.8 in²) |
| Computer | 12″ | 30.5 cm | 16/9 | 26.6 x 14.9 cm | 397 cm² surface area |
| Computer | 14″ | 35.6 cm | 16/9 | 31 x 17.4 cm | 540.3 cm2 |
| Computer | 14″ | 35.6 cm | 4/3 | 28.4 x 21.3 cm | 607 cm² (23.7 sq. in.) |
| Computer | 15″ | 38.1 cm | 16/9 | 33.2 x 18.7 cm | 620.3 cm² of surface area |
| Computer | 15″ | 38.1 cm | 4/3 | 30.5 x 22.9 cm | 696.8 cm2 |
| Computer | 17″ | 43.2 cm | 16/9 | 37.6 x 21.2 cm | 796.7 cm2 |
| Computer | 17″ | 43.2 cm | 4/3 | 34.5 x 25.9 cm | 895 cm² (2,575 sq. in.) |
| Television | 19″ | 48.3 cm | 16/9 | 42.1 x 23.7 cm | 995.2 cm2 |
| Television | 19″ | 48.3 cm | 4/3 | 38.6 x 29 cm | 1117.9 cm² surface area |
| Television | 22″ | 55.9 cm | 16/9 | 48.7 x 27.4 cm | 1334.3 cm² surface area |
| Television | 22″ | 55.9 cm | 4/3 | 44.7 x 33.5 cm | 1,498.8 cm² of surface area |
| Television | 24″ | 61 cm | 16/9 | 53.1 x 29.9 cm | 1,587.9 cm² (1,587.9 sq. in.) |
| Television | 26″ | 66 cm | 16/9 | 57.6 x 32.4 cm | 1863.6 cm² of floor space |
| Television | 28″ | 71.1 cm | 16/9 | 62 x 34.9 cm | 2161.3 cm² of surface area |
| Television | 30″ | 76.2 cm | 16/9 | 66.4 x 37.4 cm | 2481.1 cm² of surface area |
| Television | 32″ | 81.3 cm | 16/9 | 70.8 x 39.8 cm | 2822.9 cm² surface area |
How to measure a screen?
First of all, it's important to take into account the screen diagonal to find out its size. This is usually expressed in inches, with 1 inch equal to 2.54 cm. In addition to the diagonal, the screen format also has an impact on its width and height dimensions. For example, the 16/9ᵉ format of a screen means that its aspect ratio is 16/9.
Then, you should know that the dimensions of the screens provided by the manufacturers are generally not exact. If it is mentioned that a screen is 17 inches, then it can measure approximately between 41 and 44 cm.
To help you understand better, here is a concrete example of the size of two screens with a diagonal of 3.5 inches:
- With 8.9 cm diagonal, a format of 16/9ᵉ, 7.7 cm wide and 4.4 cm high, the screen surface is 33.8 cm2.
- With 7.5 cm diagonal, a format of 16/10ᵉ, 7.5 cm wide and 4.7 cm high, the screen surface is 35.5 cm2. (Like the screen size of the iPhone 3 and 4).
I invite you to look at the screens that are the most sold at the moment in France at the same time:
What size screen should I choose?
The calculation is made depending on screen format. Since the calculation is based on the diagonal, which is basically a hypotenuse, all you have to do is apply Pythagoras' theorem, taking into account 3 parameters, including the diagonal. (d) ; the width (I) and the height (h).
For the calculation, you will solve an equation with two unknowns according to the format (l/h):
- Let's first take the 4/3 format, we have: h= 3x d / 5 with I = 4x d / 5
- Then, with the 16/9 format, we have: h= 9x d / √337 ≈ d / 2 with I = 16x d / √337 ≈ 8x d / 9
- Finally, for the 16/10 format, we have: h= 10 xd / √356 with I = 16xd / √356
The screen surface (s) is equal to the multiplication of width and height : s = wxh.
Choosing a screen depends on your needs. However, a bigger screen always provides a better experience, whether you're watching videos or playing video games. To get the most out of your various games, you can choose a Portable Gaming Monitor.
The inch instead of the centimeter: Why?
The human body has always been used as a reference in terms of units of measurement since antiquity and the Middle Ages. The inch was one of the approximate units of measurement, as were the feet, the hand or the finger. By measuring with the hand, we consider the transverse distance between the outer side of the little finger and the outer side of the index finger. By dividing the foot by 12, we have the so-called "average" width of an inch, which could change from one country to another depending on the average height of the inhabitants.
Being practical, this unit of measure has been unified since 1959 by Canada, the United States and the Commonwealth, as 1 inch equals 2.54 cm, and this correspondence is universal.
I invite you to look at the screens that are the most sold at the moment in France at the same time:
