新款iPhone測評,更大的確更好

For the past few years, I have been a naysayer on one feature of smartphones: their growing size.

在過去幾年裏，我一直不滿意智能手機的尺寸越來越大。

My position was unusual given the increasing prevalence of larger screen devices. The world’s top phone makers have all added more substantial glass screens to stretch from one edge of their smartphones to another, on the theory that people can better enjoy their apps and content on an ample display.

鑑於越來越多的人在用大屏幕設備，我的立場顯得有些格格不入。全球最大的幾家手機制造商紛紛採用更大的玻璃全面屏，他們的理論是，人們可以在一塊夠大的顯示屏上更好地享受應用程序和內容。

Apple helped seal the deal last week when it announced that its new phones this year — the iPhone XR, XS and XS Max — would have screens that measured between 5.8 inches and 6.5 inches diagonally, compared with 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches two years ago. In fact, the 6.5-inch screen on the iPhone XS Max is Apple’s biggest ever. (The original iPhone in 2007 started with a 3.5-inch screen.)

蘋果上週推出的本年度新款手機iPhone XR、XS和XS Max，也爲這個趨勢站臺，它們的對角線尺寸介於5.8英寸（約合15釐米）至6.5英寸（約合17釐米）之間，而兩年前的版本是4.7英寸（約合12釐米）至5.5英寸（約合14釐米）。事實上，顯示屏達到6.5英寸的iPhone XS Max，是蘋果有史以來最大的手機。（第一款iPhone於2007年推出，屏幕爲3.5英寸[約合9釐米]）。

I have been troubled by this trend. These devices spend a lot of time in your pocket and your hand, and there are often compromises in portability and comfort when the screens balloon in size. For those reasons, I never liked the Plus phones, the line of iPhones that Apple introduced in 2014 with 5.5-inch screens. They felt impossible to use with one hand and far too bulky in a pocket.

這個趨勢一直令我覺得困擾。這些設備有相當一部分時間是放在你的口袋裏，或者手上，在屏幕變大的情況下，它勢必會影響到便攜性和舒適性。出於這些原因，我一直不喜歡Plus手機，這是蘋果在2014年推出的5.5英寸屏幕的iPhone。它們單手握不住，放在口袋裏太大。

So it’s humbling to come to you now with another confession: The iPhone XS and the iPhone XS Max may be making me a convert to bigger smartphones.

所以，現在我要心懷謙卑地向你們坦白另一件事：iPhone XS和iPhone XS Max可能會讓我轉向更大的智能手機。

Last week, I began testing both new iPhone models. I had predicted that the larger display on the XS Max would be unwieldy in my pocket and make the phone cumbersome to hold with one hand while typing and reaching for buttons inside apps.

上週，我開始測試這兩款新iPhone。我曾經預測，XS Max更大的顯示屏不方便放在口袋裏，而且在一隻手拿着手機的時候打字或者伸手去夠應用裏的按鈕，會很狼狽。

There were other things I figured I would dislike. The prices of Apple’s phones, for one, have shot up. The XS will start at $999 and the XS Max at $1,099 when both become available on Friday, compared with $699, $799 and $999 for new iPhones last year. The iPhone XR, which will be released on Oct. 19, is starting at $749.

還有其他的方面，我想我也不會太喜歡。比如，蘋果手機的價格越來越貴。XS的售價從999美元起，XS Max從1099美元起，而去年的新款iPhone的起價分別爲699美元、799美元和999美元。10月19日發佈的iPhone XR起價749美元。

None of the new phones were making huge technological leaps from last year, either. The iPhone XS and XS Max have a dual-lens camera, while the XR has a single-lens camera. All three iPhones include Face ID, the feature for unlocking the phone using face recognition.

與去年的型號相比，今年的新款手機在技術上並沒有出現巨大的飛躍。iPhone XS和XS Max搭載一個雙鏡頭攝像頭，而XR配備的是單鏡頭攝像頭。所有三款iPhone都帶有面部識別功能，也就是用臉給手機解鎖。

Yet after running the 6.5-inch XS Max alongside the 5.8-inch XS through different situations and conditions for a week, I was surprised by my reaction. Far from being disappointed by the supersized devices, I was delighted.

然而，在不同的情境和條件下試用了6.5英寸的XS Max和5.8英寸的XS一週後，我對自己的反應感到吃驚。超大尺寸的設備完全沒有讓我失望，反而用得很高興。

The trade-offs of the new jumbo model felt minor. By eliminating the bezels, which are the screen’s borders, Apple did a terrific job of increasing screen size without adding bulk or compromising the usability of the XS Max. I still think the smaller XS is a better fit for most people, but many would enjoy the XS Max.

這款巨無霸型號在設計上並沒有做出太大的妥協。通過消除屏幕邊框，蘋果在增加屏幕尺寸而不增加體積或降低XS Max的可用性方面，做得很不錯。我仍然認爲較小的XS更適合大多數人，但很多人會喜歡XS Max。

Here’s how all the testing went down.

以下是所有的測評結果。

I began by testing the iPhone XS Max because why not start with the biggest device? I moved my SIM card and all my data from an older iPhone to the new gadget and took it with me to dinner parties, bars, meetings and the gym.

我從iPhone XS Max開始測試，爲什麼不從最大的設備開始呢？我把SIM卡和所有數據從舊的iPhone轉到新設備上，帶着它去參加晚宴、泡吧、開會和健身。

After three days, I was surprised by how good it felt to use the XS Max with one hand. A key factor was how Apple had managed to cram a bigger screen into a slightly smaller body. (The body of the Plus phones was 6.24 inches by 3.07 inches, while the XS Max’s body is 6.2 inches by 3.05 inches.)

三天後，單手使用XS Max的感覺之好令我驚訝。一個關鍵因素是蘋果設法將更大的屏幕塞入略小的機身中。（Plus手機的機身爲6.24英寸[約合15釐米]x 3.07英寸[約合8釐米]，而XS Max的機身爲6.2英寸[約合15釐米] x 3.05英寸[約合8釐米]。）

These changes amounted to meaningful improvements in ergonomics and overall convenience. I was able to hold the XS Max in one hand and type messages easily. In contrast, my thumb could not reach keys on the sides of the older iPhone 8 Plus, like the shift key or the backspace key, because of the space taken up by the bezel.

這些變化在人體工程學和整體便利性方面是有意義的改進。我可以一手握住XS Max並輕鬆輸入消息。相比之下，由於邊框佔據空間，我在單手使用舊款iPhone 8 Plus時，拇指無法觸及側邊的按鍵，比如切換鍵或退格鍵。

And I found the jumbo-screen XS Max particularly beneficial in several instances. While driving, it was easier to read maps. The bigger screen made writing longer emails — a task that I usually do on a laptop — more pleasant. The display was also nice for reading recipes in the kitchen.

我發現XS Max的巨型屏幕在幾個場景中特別有用。開車時查看地圖更方便了。更大的屏幕適合撰寫更長的電子郵件——這是我經常在筆記本電腦上要做的事。這個顯示器也很適合在廚房裏閱讀食譜。

While browsing Instagram next to my partner, I said to her: “If you can use this thing with one hand, who would want the smaller phone if you only have to pay $100 more for this huge screen?”

在伴侶身邊瀏覽Instagram時，我對她說：“如果你可以用一隻手來使用這個東西，而且爲了這個巨大的屏幕只需多花100美元，誰還會想要更小的手機呢？”

“But does it fit inside your pocket?” she asked.

“但它能放進你的口袋嗎？”她問。

That brings me to the iPhone XS. After taking the larger XS Max everywhere with me for three days and feeling good about it, I switched to the iPhone XS — and immediately experienced a sense of relief.

這讓我想到了iPhone XS。在隨身帶着大塊頭的XS Max過了三天並且感覺很不錯之後，我轉而使用iPhone XS——立刻就有了一種解脫感。

I found I simply preferred the XS’s smaller body for the very basic task of moving around. Having the smaller phone in my pocket felt less obtrusive during dog walks, long hikes and gym sessions.

我發現自己更喜歡在四處溜達的時候，用XS較小的機身來完成基本任務。在遛狗、長途徒步旅行和健身課程中，把較小的手機放在口袋裏，感覺不那麼突兀了。

I also found the XS easier to use as a camera. While the XS and XS Max share identical camera systems, which produce excellent, clear photos with natural-looking colors in normal and lowlight conditions, the smaller phone worked better in a pinch because it was easier to pull out of a pocket and quickly stabilize to take a clear shot.

我還發現用XS做相機更容易。雖然XS和XS Max擁有相同的相機系統，可以在正常和光線不好的條件下拍出出色、清晰的照片和自然的色彩，但小巧的手機在緊急情況下使用起來更方便，因爲它更容易從口袋中拿出來，並且可以快速穩定下來，拍出一張清晰的照片。

As a self-diagnosed phone addict who is trying to cut down on screen time, I decided the XS also felt healthier for me. The XS Max screen was so good-looking that I wanted to keep reading articles and looking at photos on Instagram. When I used Apple’s new Screen Time feature to monitor my use of each device, I discovered that I spent an average of roughly five and a half hours a day on the XS Max, two hours more than on the XS.

我自認是手機癮君子，並且試圖減少使用手機的時間，我認爲XS對我來說也更健康。XS Max的屏幕非常好看，以至於我想一直用它閱讀文章，在Instagram上看圖片。當我用Apple新的“屏幕時間”功能來監控自己對每臺設備的使用狀況時，發現我在XS Max上平均每天花費大約五個半小時，比XS多兩個小時。

So where does that leave us? I concluded I no longer had any real objection to the bigger size of the iPhone XS Max, but felt that the smaller XS was still a better mobile phone because it was just as capable but more portable and pocketable.

那麼我們該怎麼選呢？我的結論是，我不再對iPhone XS Max的大尺寸有任何實際的反對意見，但我依然認爲，較小的XS是一款更好的手機，因爲它的能力同樣強大，但更方便攜帶，可以放在口袋裏。

That means if you are a more casual technology user who wants a superb smartphone that is comfortable to carry, I recommend you go for the XS. If you plan to treat your phone as a primary computer, go for the XS Max.

這意味着，如果你是一個更爲休閒的科技用戶，想要一款攜帶方便、性能卓越的智能手機，我建議你選擇XS。如果你打算將手機當做主電腦使用，那就選XS Max吧。

One flaw frustrated me in both iPhones: the poor design of Reachability, the software feature that was designed to make larger phone screens easier to use with one hand. On past iPhones, Reachability let people tap the home button twice to lower the top of the screen and reach for the buttons up there. Now there is no home button, so the new way to trigger Reachability is to swipe down from the bottom of the screen.

兩個iPhone都有一個缺陷，令我感到沮喪：單手操作模式(Reachability)的設計很差，這個軟件功能旨在讓單手更容易使用更大的手機屏幕。在過去的iPhone上，單手操作模式允許人們點擊home按鈕兩次以降低屏幕頂部，並觸摸那裏的按鈕。現在沒有了home按鍵，因此觸發單手操作模式的新方法是從屏幕底部向下滑動。

That’s problematic because when you swipe from the bottom, it’s easy to unintentionally hit a button on the bottom of an app, like the search tab inside Instagram or the video tab inside Facebook. There is a clear opportunity here for Apple to use the iPhone’s pressure sensitivity, called 3D Touch, to let you press hard on the bottom of the screen to trigger Reachability. But for now, we are stuck with swiping down.

這是有問題的，因爲當從底部滑動時，很容易無意中點擊到應用程序底部的按鈕，例如Instagram的搜索標籤或Facebook的視頻標籤。很明顯，蘋果可以用上iPhone被稱爲3D Touch的壓力敏感度功能，讓用戶用力按壓屏幕底部以觸發單手操作系統。但目前我們還是得使用向下滑動。

Apple said the Reachability swipe gesture was designed as a quick action to let people easily reach for the top of the screen.

蘋果表示，單手操作系統的滑動手勢旨在讓人們輕鬆觸及屏幕頂部。

What about the iPhone XR?

iPhone XR怎麼樣？

So who should get the entry-level iPhone XR? Apple did not provide a review unit for the XR because it will be released next month, so I can’t say with authority.

那麼誰應該購買入門級的iPhone XR呢？蘋果沒有爲XR提供測評樣機，因爲它將在下個月發售，所以我的話不具備權威性。

But I suspect it will largely come down to whether you can live with a single-lens camera, which doesn’t do as good a job taking those D.S.L.R.-like photos with a blurred-out background and a sharpened foreground. The XS is about $250 more than the XR, but after shooting photos like the one below, I’m sold on dual-lens cameras.

但我懷疑這在很大程度上取決於你是否願意接受單鏡頭相機，這在拍攝那些具有模糊背景和銳化前景的單反式照片時，效果不是那麼好。XS比XR大約貴上250美元，但在拍了下面的照片之後，我被雙鏡頭相機折服了。

For years, Apple customers have gotten in the habit of buying a new iPhone sight unseen. But now that there are several sizes for different prices, I encourage you to try before you buy. It may not hurt to wait for the XR’s release next month so you can test all three in a store. Play with the cameras and pay close attention to how each phone feels in one hand and inside your pocket.

多年來，蘋果的消費者已經養成了事前不看就購買新iPhone的習慣。但現在有了不同價格的幾種尺寸，我鼓勵你在購買之前先試一下。等到XR下個月發佈又不會有什麼壞處，屆時你就可以在店裏對所有三款手機進行測試。玩一玩相機，並且留意每款手機用單手手持和放在口袋裏的感覺。

It’s important that you find the right fit: Since you have to pay so much for your next iPhone, you will probably live with it for a long time. And who knows? You might assume you will dislike a bigger screen and then change your mind — just as I did.

最重要的是找到適合自己的：因爲你要爲這部iPhone花那麼多的錢，你可能會使用很長時間。誰知道呢？你可能原本會覺得自己不喜歡更大的屏幕，然後又改變主意——就像我一樣。