10年了，我為什么仍然愛iPhone

Dear iPhone: It’s hard to believe we’re still together after 10 years, which is eons in the tech industry.

親愛的iPhone：我們在一起已經(jīng)十年了，真是不可思議，這在技術(shù)產(chǎn)業(yè)是很長的一段時間。

What’s the glue that keeps us together? For one, I rarely get lost now that I always have a GPS device in my pocket. After lots of practice with your camera, I’ve become a decent photographer. And I’m more punctual and responsive thanks to constant access to my calendar and email.

是什么把我們粘在了一起?舉個例子，現(xiàn)在，我口袋里有個GPS設(shè)備，我很少迷路。用iPhone相機進行大量練習之后，我已經(jīng)成了一名不錯的攝影師。因為經(jīng)常查看日歷和郵件，現(xiàn)在我更準時，回應(yīng)也更及時。

Since Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone in 2007, the smartphone has become a close — if not the closest — digital pal for millions of people around the world. With more than 1.2 billion iPhones sold to date, it has also become one of the best-selling gadgets ever. And even though Apple’s phones typically cost several times more than rival handsets, the company is No. 2 in sales in the smartphone industry after Samsung Electronics.

自從史蒂夫·喬布斯(Steve Jobs)2007年推出iPhone之后，這種智能手機成為世界各地成百上千萬人的親密電子伙伴——可能是最親密的電子伙伴。到目前為止，iPhone在全球銷售了逾12億部，成為史上最暢銷的電子設(shè)備之一。盡管蘋果手機的價格通常比其他競品貴幾倍，但該公司在智能手機產(chǎn)業(yè)的銷量排名第二，僅次于三星電子。

“People spend hours on it every day, so they can justify paying more for what they believe to be the best device,” said Toni Sacconaghi, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein, who has studied Apple for years and called the company’s positioning of the iPhone “unique.”

“人們每天在手機上花費幾個小時，所以有理由花更多錢買他們認為最好的設(shè)備，”桑福德-伯恩斯坦公司(Sanford C. Bernstein)的分析師托尼·薩科納吉(Toni Sacconaghi)說。他研究蘋果多年，稱該公司對iPhone進行了“獨特”的定位。

Yet the iPhone is now in a precarious position. Gone is the thrill of downloading yet another app. It isn’t as exciting anymore if the screens of the gadget get bigger or the device becomes thinner. And the middle age of the iPhone is reflected in its sales, which dipped for the first time last year. It doesn’t help that Apple also faces fierce competition, especially in markets like China and India where people are flocking to cheaper smartphones that are increasingly capable and attractive.

不過，現(xiàn)在iPhone正處于一個不太安穩(wěn)的境地。下載一個應(yīng)用的刺激感已經(jīng)消失。這款電子設(shè)備的屏幕變大或機身變薄，也不再那么令人興奮。從銷量也能看出iPhone已步入中年：去年，它的銷量首次下滑。此外蘋果還面臨著激烈的競爭，尤其是在中國和印度等市場，那里的人們在蜂擁購買性能越來越強、樣子越來越好看而且更便宜的智能手機。

Many eyes are now on Apple’s 10th anniversary event for the iPhone, which is expected to be held next month. There, Apple is set to introduce major upgrades for the next iPhones, which could stoke our appetites again for the gadget. Or not.

此刻很多人在關(guān)注蘋果預(yù)計會在下個月舉辦的iPhone十周年活動。屆時，蘋果將介紹下一代iPhone的主要升級，那可能會再次引起我們對這款電子設(shè)備的興趣。也可能不會。

Chief among the changes for the new iPhones: refreshed versions, including a premium model priced at around $999, according to people briefed on the product, who asked to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Apple made room for a bigger screen on that model by reducing the size of the bezel — or the forehead and the chin — on the face of the device. Other new features include facial recognition for unlocking the device, along with the ability to charge it with magnetic induction, the people said.

新款iPhone的主要變化有：據(jù)了解這款產(chǎn)品的人士稱，它會推出一些更新的版本，包括定價在999美元左右的至尊版。由于未獲公開發(fā)言的授權(quán)，這些知情人士要求匿名。蘋果通過縮小手機表面邊框的面積——也就是額頭和下巴的部分——為屏幕留出更大的空間。知情人士還表示，其他新功能包括面部識別解鎖，以及電磁感應(yīng)充電。

Here’s a look back at the last 10 years of why the iPhone still has us in its grip — so much that people keep coming back for more.

讓我們回顧一下，在過去十年里，iPhone始終吸引我們、促使我們不斷購買的原因。

Support at Apple Stores

蘋果專賣店的支持

The role of Apple stores in keeping people loyal to iPhones cannot be overstated. The Apple stores include the so-called Genius Bar for getting repairs, so when things go wrong with an iPhone, you can simply schedule a repair appointment at the nearest location.

蘋果專賣店在維持用戶對iPhone的忠誠方面的重要性怎樣強調(diào)都不過分。蘋果專賣店擁有用于維修的所謂的“天才吧”，如果iPhone出了問題，你可以輕松地在最近的專賣店預(yù)約維修。

The Genius Bar is a boon to average people who need occasional help with their tech. Getting support directly from Apple means you may have your problems resolved immediately, rather than having to bring the phone to a wireless carrier or mail the phone to a repair center and wait for it to return, like you typically have to do with phones made by other companies.

對那些偶爾需要技術(shù)幫助的普通人來說，“天才吧”是一大便利。直接從蘋果獲得支持，意味著你的問題可能很快就能得到解決，你不必把手機交給無線運營商，或者寄到維修中心，再等它返回來——如果你用的是其他公司生產(chǎn)的手機，你通常必須這樣做。

Stronger Security

更強大的安全性

Security experts agree that the iPhone’s operating system is architecturally more secure than Android. The main reason is that Apple’s iOS can only run apps that Apple approved to be distributed in the App Store. By contrast, Android phones are capable of running software from outside of Google’s official app store, and apps from unauthorized sources are more likely to carry malware.

安全專家們一致認為，iPhone的操作系統(tǒng)在架構(gòu)上比安卓更安全。主要原因是蘋果的iOS只能運行蘋果商店批準發(fā)布的應(yīng)用。相比之下，安卓手機可以運行谷歌官方應(yīng)用程序商店之外的軟件，而來自未獲授權(quán)來源的應(yīng)用攜帶惡意軟件的可能性更大。

The trade-off for stronger security, of course, is flexibility. Android users are free to tinker with their devices using custom software, while iPhone customers can only use apps that play by Apple’s rules.

當然，安全性更強的代價是靈活性較低。安卓用戶可以下載個性軟件隨意擺弄自己的設(shè)備，而iPhone用戶只能使用符合蘋果規(guī)則的應(yīng)用。

“The iPhone is still arguably the best phone for regular people who just want their device to work without having to worry about lots of technical settings or malware,” said Jan Dawson, an independent analyst for Jackdaw Research.

“對于只想讓自己的設(shè)備正常運行，不必擔心很多技術(shù)設(shè)定或惡意軟件的普通人來說，iPhone依然可以說是最好的選擇，”穴鳥研究公司(Jackdaw Research)的獨立分析師簡·道森(Jan Dawson)說。

Software updates are another factor in security. Apple issues its own software updates, making it easy for iPhones to get the latest security enhancements. By contrast, Android device makers have to coordinate software updates with carriers, making the process more complicated and time consuming.

軟件升級是安全性的另一個因素。蘋果發(fā)布自己的軟件升級，所以iPhone可以輕松得到最新的安全提升。相比之下，安卓設(shè)備制造商必須與運營商協(xié)作進行軟件升級，這個過程更復雜，更費時。

The upshot: About 87 percent of Apple devices are running the latest iOS today, while only about 13 percent of Android users are running Nougat, the latest Google operating system.

結(jié)果：如今，約87%的蘋果設(shè)備運行的是最新的iOS，而只有約13%的安卓用戶運行的是谷歌的最新操作系統(tǒng)“牛軋?zhí)?rdquo;(Nougat)。

High Privacy Standards

高隱私標準

For the last few years, Timothy D. Cook, Apple’s chief executive, has emphasized the company’s commitment to privacy. Apple, he said, derives most of its profit from sales of hardware, not trading your user data. To further prove his point, Apple engaged in a major legal battle last year with the F.B.I., resisting the agency’s request to weaken iPhone encryption for a criminal investigation.

在過去幾年里，蘋果的首席執(zhí)行官蒂莫西·D·庫克(Timothy D. Cook)強調(diào)該公司對隱私的承諾。他表示，蘋果的大部分利潤來自硬件銷售，而非出賣用戶數(shù)據(jù)。為了進一步證明他的觀點，蘋果去年與FBI進行了一場重要的訴訟戰(zhàn)，拒絕為該機構(gòu)的一樁犯罪調(diào)查而削弱iPhone的加密功能。

Some critics have poked holes in Apple’s privacy commitment. For one, the company collects plenty of data about how people use technology, including information that can be used for marketing and advertising services.

一些批評人士譏諷了蘋果的隱私保護承諾。別的且不說，這家公司收集了有關(guān)人們?nèi)绾问褂眉夹g(shù)的大量數(shù)據(jù)，包括可以用于營銷和廣告服務(wù)的信息。

Still, privacy advocates, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Electronic Privacy Information Center, have praised Apple for making efforts to protect consumer privacy with features like built-in encryption and browsing technologies that block advertising trackers.

不過，蘋果在消費者隱私保護方面的努力，比如內(nèi)置加密和屏蔽廣告跟蹤器的瀏覽技術(shù)，還是得到了包括電子前沿基金會(Electronic Frontier Foundation)和電子隱私信息中心(Electronic Privacy Information Center)在內(nèi)的隱私權(quán)益倡導者的贊許。

Apple’s Tight Ecosystem

蘋果的密閉生態(tài)系

IPhones work well with other Apple devices like Macs and the Apple TV. Once you invest in other Apple products, it’s tough to leave the ecosystem. The Apple Watch makes it especially tough: It requires an iPhone to work properly. So if you were to switch to Android, prepare for your smart watch to transform into a dumb watch. iPhone和Mac、Apple TV

等其他蘋果設(shè)備在一起使用是很理想的。一旦你花錢買了其他蘋果設(shè)備，想擺脫這個生態(tài)系會非常困難。Apple Watch尤其會讓你難以脫身：要想用好它，你得有一臺iPhone才行。因此，如果你要轉(zhuǎn)投安卓，就得做好把智能手表變成弱智手表的準備才行。

Less sticky is Apple’s ecosystem of apps and web services. For every major Apple app, including Apple Maps, Apple Music and Apple Photos, there are alternatives like Google Maps, Spotify and Google Photos. It’s difficult to resist using iMessage, Apple’s default text messaging service. But there are plenty of alternatives like WeChat, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Signal.

蘋果的應(yīng)用和網(wǎng)絡(luò)服務(wù)生態(tài)系統(tǒng)的黏性相對較小。所有重要的蘋果應(yīng)用，包括Apple Maps、Apple Music和Apple Photos，都可以找到例如Google Maps、Spotify和Google Photos這樣的替代品。蘋果的默認短信服務(wù)iMessage是很難割舍的。但是也有不少替代選項，比如微信、WhatsApp、Facebook Messenger和Signal。

A Trusted Brand

一個值得信賴的品牌

The iPhone has become a brand associated with reliability and satisfaction. A survey conducted last December by the research firm 451 Research found that among smartphone owners, iPhone customers were the most satisfied, followed by owners of devices from Samsung, Motorola and LG.

iPhone已經(jīng)成為一個象征著可靠和滿意的品牌。研究機構(gòu)451 Research在去年12月的一項調(diào)查顯示，在智能手機用戶中，iPhone用戶的滿意度是最高的，緊接其后的是使用三星、摩托羅拉和LG設(shè)備的人。

Mr. Sacconaghi of Sanford C. Bernstein said Apple had created a “brand halo” for the iPhone by positioning it as a premium product with easy-to-use software and high-quality features, components and capabilities.

桑福德·伯恩斯坦公司的薩克納吉認為，蘋果通過易用的軟件和高質(zhì)量的功能、元件與性能，為iPhone確立了高尚產(chǎn)品的地位，從而塑造了一種“品牌光環(huán)”。

Notably, among current iPhone customers surveyed by 451 Research, 91 percent of those who planned on buying a new smartphone in the near future said they intended to buy another iPhone.

值得一提的是，在451 Research的調(diào)查中，目前在使用iPhone、并計劃在不久的將來換新機的用戶中，有91%的人打算再買一臺iPhone。