it will be awesome to have the possibility to reduce the size screen for been used with one hand in the long Sony models.
It would be good for testing how apps look in 16:9 and producing screenshots in the proper dimensions too.
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Shameless bump.
With the Xperia 10 III coming with video output (NB: no idea about if and when it may get enabled), a 16:9 mode would be very good for showing the screen on conventional displays.
I also find myself keeping a XA2 around only for screenshots of the apps i make, which is of course very silly.
(Assuming the video out works) Shouldn’t the screen and apps adapt automatically to the aspect ration/resolution/etc of the display you connect to??
Yes indeed, this is what i’m asking for (as opposed to letterbox). So theoretically there can be even more shapes, sure. Not sure if that is a realistic use-case though, and i’d be perfectly fine with anything not 16:9 or native getting less-than-optimal treatment.
I’m assuming duplication is the only reasonable function - how would one even control things on a second display otherwise?
So the content on the phone’s display still needs to shrink on the biggest axis - and a way to trigger that without an external display would be neat too.
There are many things that can be done other than screen mirroring. Ie the phone display can turn off and use only the external with a mouse and kbd. Or maybe work as a trackpad/input device (the phone).
External monitors use various resolution 16:9, 16:10 or weirder stuff like the cool 16:18 one LG showed art CES. So you need to cover everything IMO.
Its probably a big project to addapt the compositor to work like this but one can dream. 
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This extremely long screens of the currently supported phones bring me to an idea:
What about splitting the screen into a output zone and another input+control zone aside, all reachable in single hand operation. selectable what side for input/operation and what side for output only - for left- and righthanders.
Above said is meant for operation in landscape mode.
in portrait mode, all control elements would be better in the lowest third of the screen so that they are reachable with the thumb while holding the phone with one hand.
control elements should be mirrored as an option for lefthanders.
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How do you propose that would work?
I think both e.g. multiplying the input coordinates by 2, and going fully touchpad-like (black zone and a cursor) wouldn’t work nicely with Sailfish. The whole point is that it is based on imprecise input, unlike button-centric GUIs.
What I’m thinking of is using the phone in landscape mode. E.g for reading (PDF, e-book,…) and/or view some content.
Then, there is plenty of screen width and few of screen height. But unfortunately there is permanently something popping up from bottom (Menu bar, adress bar,…) that reduces screen hight further.
I really would like to have this pop up stuff not to further reduce the poor screen height (in landscape mode), but have this reft or right.
Needless to say that that tapping into some screen content must stay inside the screen content, as it is.
Ah, okay… so not related to this request then, but an app design framework/guideline change.
The OS couldn’t really force force that on apps, the developers would at least partially have to be in on it (using the appropriate framework etc).
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