Where are the ads that actually call a screen that is not actually larger larger based on its diagonal? Most companies do not dare to step over that line. Because it’s wrong and all kinds of fucked up. Oh, sure, they might call a screen that is actually larger (but not quite as much larger as its diagonal might imply) larger and present the diagonal in big letters. But calling something that isn’t larger larger? WTF?
I’m sure consumers are often confused – but not because companies are actively calling something larger that actually isn’t.
I think you are very confused about what’s happing here and you seem to have serious issues separating consumer misunderstanding and companies lying. One is sad, the other is evil and has to be called out. And loudly. There is no weaseling out of this. This isn’t even a tiny little bit ok maybe if you squint. This just is not ok. (But, again, I’m not sure there is any intent here. Maybe it was just a stupid mistake.)
Besides that most consumers will just look at the table and never read the small sentence next to the link to the shop, what is the difference if you omit the statement? Consumers will see 9.7" and 10.1" and say that 10.1" is larger. What if you add another row with aspect ratios next to diagonal lengths? Consumers will still say that 10.1" is larger. Adding or removing the sentence makes no difference because as far as consumers are concerned display size is diagonal length and not display area.
What do you suggest, how should the add be modified? As stated above, just omitting the statement makes no difference, the customers will just conclude that the 10.1" display is the larger one. Should they add something like »Our tablet has a larger display diagonal but due to the different aspect ratios the display area is actually a 3.5 % smaller«? Leave out the display sizes in the first place?
So in my opinion leaving out the statement makes you not really that much more honest because the numbers just imply the statement for consumers. You have moved from saying something wrong (if you insist that display size is has always to be interpreted as display area and not diagonal length) to not telling the whole truth and letting the consumer make a wrong conclusion. Omitting the display sizes is not really an option. What remains is requiring them to add statements to the add that explicitly name weaknesses of the product and this is completely against the purpose of an add.
I have another idea - rewrite the statement to read »[...] has a larger display diagonal than [...]« instead of »[...] has a larger display than [...]«. What will consumers read? Of course, »has a larger display«. Now it is a true statement but still misleading.
Where are the ads that actually call a screen that is not actually larger larger based on its diagonal? Most companies do not dare to step over that line. Because it’s wrong and all kinds of fucked up. Oh, sure, they might call a screen that is actually larger (but not quite as much larger as its diagonal might imply) larger and present the diagonal in big letters. But calling something that isn’t larger larger? WTF?
I’m sure consumers are often confused – but not because companies are actively calling something larger that actually isn’t.
I think you are very confused about what’s happing here and you seem to have serious issues separating consumer misunderstanding and companies lying. One is sad, the other is evil and has to be called out. And loudly. There is no weaseling out of this. This isn’t even a tiny little bit ok maybe if you squint. This just is not ok. (But, again, I’m not sure there is any intent here. Maybe it was just a stupid mistake.)