Once upon a time, the golden ratio was 4:3. All screens respected that relationship between height and width, and even the first mobile phones followed it blindly. 

The latest true standard was 16:9, a format which until recently was respected by smartphones, tablets and televisions. But with the latest generation, this has been abandoned. Devices are getting longer and longer, and at the latest Mobile World Congress, Sony presented two smartphones that go as far as 21:9. It is not a random choice, it is the format of cinema, and is perfect for viewing films. The problem is that the typical media for videos nowadays is social networks, and in general, filming is done with telephones held vertically, not horizontally. This has led to the idea from Korea of a vertical television.

Called Sero, the new line of Samsung televisions looks like a huge smartphone. A large 43-inch display which allows full-screen viewing of social network content without those annoying side bars that appear on traditional televisions or YouTube. It sports 60-watt speakers that create an enveloping virtual 4.1 effect and a midnight blue pedestal.

Rather than being vertical, in reality the TV rotates. Sero can rotate 90 degrees on its pedestal, returning when necessary to the traditional format. After all, no-one likes watching oblong films or shows. The best thing however is that what seems to be a classic Far-Eastern concept is in reality ready to be launched on the market. For now, the launch is set for May in Korea only, where it will be sold for 1.89 million won, or about 1,450 euros.