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Okay, but the "physical" outer dimensions must be bigger than the screen size.

If 5.9" were ridiculously large (it is), then so is anything bigger, including the phone that must contain the 5.9" screen.

Aspect ratio also has an effect. Squarer phones have more surface area at a given screen diagonal.

A 'smaller' screen can actually be larger in area. Take the 5.7 inch note 3 mentioned earlier.

Its screen is nearly 7% larger than the 5.9 inch zenphone 9. Skinnier aspect ratios exaggerate the growth in phone screen sizes.