索尼Xperia Z 水陸兩用平板

In today's tablet market, one device stands distinctly above all others: Apple's iPad. With this tablet, Apple did what it always does and created an innovative, must-have device in a once-unexciting category.

如今的平板電腦市場，有一樣設備傲視羣雄：它就是蘋果公司(Apple)的iPad。通過這款平板電腦，蘋果公司像往常一樣，在一個曾經被忽視的產品分類當中打造了一款創新性十足的必備品。

That was three years ago.

不過，這已經過去了三年。

Now, a company that made its name with high-end consumer electronics wants to give Apple a real challenge. Sony's Xperia Tablet Z runs the latest version of Android, has a 10.1-inch screen and is the thinnest tablet yet, even thinner than Apple's iPad Mini.

如今，一家專爲高端客戶羣體打造電子產品的公司將給蘋果帶來真正的挑戰。索尼(Sony)的Xperia Z平板電腦，運行最新版本的安卓系統；它配置了10.1英寸的屏幕，是當今市場上最薄的平板電腦，甚至薄過了蘋果的iPad Mini。

At 1.09 pounds, it's lighter than the 1.44-pound full-size iPad. This tablet has infrared that turns it into a universal living-room remote control. And just for kicks, it works even when submerged in up to three feet of water for 30 minutes.

Xperia Z重1.09磅（約0.5kg），比9.7英寸版的iPad的1.44磅（約0.7kg）更輕薄。所具備的紅外功能使其成爲了一部能夠控制客廳的智能遙控器。更牛的是，即使把它丟進深達3英尺（約0.9米）深的水中半個小時，它照樣可以工作無誤。

The Xperia is only available in models with Wi-Fi connections, as was the iPad when it launched. The models cost the same amount as their comparable iPad models: $499 for a 16-gigabyte Xperia (in black) and $599 for the 32-gigabyte model (in black or white). The Xperia is available in Sony stores, at and other online retailers; it will be in Best Buy stores in July.

目前，Xperia Z平板電腦僅有wifi版本，這和iPad剛發佈時如出一轍。同其競爭者iPad一樣，16G黑色版本的Xperia售價爲499美元（約合人民幣3,084元），32G版本的爲599美元（約合人民幣3,702元），並有白色或黑色可選。在索尼官網、亞馬遜()和其他網上零售商處均有銷售；7月它還將登陸百思買門店(Best Buy)。

Sony has been out of the mobile-technology conversation for a long time, and the Xperia Tablet Z's design and price position the company to get back in the game if it plays its cards right.

索尼已經很久沒有在移動科技上拋頭露面了，這款Xperia Z平板電腦的設計和定價很可能成爲其重返移動科技領域的一張王牌。

Sony also has a smartphone with the same name in the U.S., the Xperia Z, which is available unlocked (without a carrier) for $630. Kazuo Hirai, Sony's president and CEO, recently said the phone will soon be available with a carrier.

在美國，索尼還推出了一款同樣名爲Xperia Z的智能手機，這款手機的無鎖版（無需綁定運營商）售價爲630美元（約合人民幣3,894元）。索尼CEO兼主席Kazuo Hirai說他們很快就會推出運營商版本。

I've been using this new tablet for over a week and it's a serious rival to the iPad. Its stylish overall design, screen, fast performance, good camera and noticeably high sound quality make it easy to love. The Android OS, called Jellybean, runs smoothly and more thoughtfully than previous iterations of Android. But the Xperia Tablet Z didn't fare well in my battery-life test. And some people may find the Xperia's plastic back feels flimsy compared with the sturdy, brushed aluminum back on the iPad.

我已經用了Xperia Z一個星期了，即使相對於iPad來說，它仍具有很強的競爭力。時尚的整體設計，完美的屏幕，超快的速度，優質的鏡頭以及出色的音效，都讓我愛不釋手。最新的安卓軟糖系統(Jellybean)運行十分流暢，而且比以前的版本都更加人性化。但是Xperia Z系列平板電腦的電池續航能力還有待提升。另外，相比iPad堅固的鋁合金拉紋底板，Xperia Z的黑色塑料底板也顯得比較單薄。

I own an Android tablet and have tested several others, but I liked the Xperia Z's physical design best. Its super-thin build and light weight let you tote it in a briefcase or bag without noticing it. The Z's speaker openings are smartly situated on the bottom and side edges, giving a full, surround-sound effect that doesn't get muffled when you put it down on a table.

我本身就有一款安卓系統的平板電腦，也測試過其他的幾款，但我還是最偏愛Xperia Z的設計。當你把它放在公文包或者揹包裏時，其超薄超輕機身使你近乎察覺不到它的存在。Xperia Z的揚聲器位於底部邊緣，即使將機身平放在桌面，也不會影響其全方位環繞立體聲效。

After putting the Xperia through its paces for a week, I decided to test its water resistance. First, I made sure all of its ports were covered with their attached flip-out doors. This included a Micro SD memory-card expansion slot, USB 2.0 port and a headphone output. I submerged the device in a deep sink filled with water for 10 minutes with music playing from it. I could still hear it underwater.

在適應了一星期之後，我決定要測試一下Xperia的防水功能。首先，我確保所有的插口都由其自帶摺疊式蓋子蓋好，其中包括一個迷你SD卡插槽，一個USB2.0插口和耳機插孔。我把播放着音樂的Xperia Z放進裝滿水的池子裏10分鐘，它不僅可以正常工作，水下播放的音樂也很清晰。

Most people won't go for a swim with their tablets, but they will use them in places where splashes and spills are a regular occurrence, like the kitchen and bathroom. Even with wet fingertips, gestures and selections on the Xperia screen were still recognized, however inconsistently.

當然，大部分人不會帶着平板電腦下水游泳，可是很多時候他們會在經常被水濺到或水滲漏的地方使用，例如廚房和廁所。即使手指上有水，Xperia Z的屏幕依然能夠辨認手勢和選擇，儘管不太連貫。

In everyday use, the Xperia's battery life worked well enough that I didn't notice a problem. But it came up short in my battery test. I set the screen brightness to 75%, kept Wi-Fi on to collect email in the background and played a loop of video until the tablet ran out of juice. The Xperia Z died after just under 5 1/2 hours; the iPad lasted for nearly 11 1/2 hours.

對於日常使用，我並不認爲Xperia的電池是個問題；但測試結果的確顯示其電池續航能力不足。我將屏幕亮度設置在75%，開啓Wi-Fi在後臺接受郵件，並持續播放視頻。Xperia Z的電量在5個半小時後被耗盡；而同等情況下iPad持續了近乎11個半小時。

In my living room, I tested the Xperia Z's built-in infrared remote by opening a preloaded Remote Control app. Here, I selected my device type and maker, and on-screen controls appeared that I tested to make sure they worked with my LG TV, TiVo and Sony sound system. This took just a few minutes and could come in handy if you use your tablet while watching TV, but most people probably will use it as a parlor trick.

在客廳裏，我通過一款預先安裝的遙控應用(Remote Control app)，測試了Xperia Z自帶的紅外線遙控功能。我首先選擇了我的設備類型和連接器，隨即在屏幕上就出現了相對應的設備，包括LG電視，替你錄(TiVo)，和索尼音效系統。整個過程僅僅只需要幾分鐘的時間。如果你在看電視的時候使用平板電腦，這款應用也十分實用，雖然大部分人只會把它當成一個用來炫耀的客廳把戲。

I downloaded Sony's TV SideView app, which let me enter my ZIP Code to pull up my cable provider's channel guide to browse currently playing content from my tablet without disturbing the TV screen.

我下載了索尼的TV SideView軟件，它能夠讓我通過輸入區號來連接有線電視供應商，並在平板電腦上面顯示所提供的內容，而不會干擾電視的播放。

A handsome 'Watch Now' view floated images of currently playing programs on my screen, and I tapped on each for more details, including related Twitter feeds. Swiping a box representing the program toward the TV changes the TV's channel to this show.

其中華麗的“現在觀看”界面(Watch Now)提供了即時播放的電視節目的浮層圖像，我可以通過點擊圖片獲得更多信息，甚至可以看到大家發的推特(Twitter)內容。划動代表該節目的方框至TV處，便可讓電視轉換至心儀的節目。

The Xperia Z's 8-megapixel rear camera and 2-megapixel front camera have more megapixels than the iPad's 5-megpixel rear camera and 1.2-megapixel front camera, though the cameras shouldn't be judged solely on megapixels. Photos of the Pacific Ocean, friends and beaches looked rich and crisp. As I swiped through photos, each took a little extra time to come into focus, like what sometimes happens on a digital camera.

儘管像素並不是衡量相機優劣的唯一標準，Xperia Z平板電腦的800萬像素後置攝像頭和200萬像素前置攝像頭的像素仍高過了iPad的500萬像素後置攝像頭以及120萬像素前置攝像頭。幾張太平洋、朋友和沙灘的照片看上去色彩豐富又清爽明亮，好像用數碼相機一樣。當我在瀏覽相冊時，每一張照片都需要花一些時間才能加載成功。

If you're an Android fan and you've been waiting for a tablet with a great design, Sony's Xperia Tablet Z fits the bill. Just don't expect its battery to last as long as the iPad's.

如果你是安卓粉絲，並且一直期待一款設計出衆的平板電腦，索尼的Xperia Z就是不二之選。只是不要期待電池續航能和iPad一樣持久。