不會買三星智能手錶的三大理由
Based on some of the early buzz, you'd figure the $299 Samsung Gear smart watch is a downright revolutionary device. On paper, it has several nifty things going for it: a 1.63-inch color display, Google (GOOG) Android, and 70 apps at launch from eBay (EBAY), Evernote, and RunKeeper, among them. It lets users make phone calls, check email, even point and shoot photos and video by holding up your hand. And voice recognition means it's possible to navigate the device touch-free. With all those features going for it, it's easy to let the imagination run wild with far-out hypothetical scenarios where this thing is all but doing the home cooking.
三星（Samsung）售價299美元的Gear智能手錶剛一發布，就收到不少好評，但如果你據此認爲這是一部革命性的設備，那不妨往下看看。從各項參數來看，Gear亮點頗多：1.63英寸的全綵屏幕、谷歌（Google）Android操作系統、70款首發應用，其中不乏eBay、印象筆記（Evernote）和健身軟件RunKeeper等大牌應用。用戶可以打電話、查閱電子郵件，甚至手腕一擡就能拍攝照片和視頻，而語音識別更是讓觸摸操作都省了。面對如此繁多的功能，用戶很容易浮想聯翩，認爲小小的Gear是萬能的，能夠完成生活中所有大小事，但事實並不盡然。Still, I'm not sold. Here are three easy reasons why:
所以，我並不推薦Gear。以下是三條顯而易見的理由。It doesn't do anything my phone doesn't already do (yet). All right, so the Gear isn't even out. But based on Samsung's announcement, it doesn't do anything my iPhone 5 doesn't already do besides look better strapped to someone's wrist. Most of the 70 apps available on day one are already available for Android and iOS devices. Sure, it might make certain tasks easier -- I like the idea of running without having to pull out my phone -- but there just aren't enough unique use cases for me to even consider splurging on this.
Gear能做的智能手機都能做到。所以，Gear並沒有什麼獨門功夫。相反，三星在發佈會上展示的功能我的iPhone 5全能做到，除了這款手錶戴在手上比較好看之外。至於發佈首日可用的70款應用程序，它們中的絕大部分Android和iOS設備都能下載到。的確，某些場合中手錶比較方便——例如我在慢跑時就不用掏出手機了，但光憑這一點還不夠，不值得我掏錢。
I don't have a Galaxy Note III. Unless users also have the Galaxy Note III, they aren't going to get the most out of the Gear. Samsung's smart watch must be paired via Bluetooth with the upcoming phone-tablet hybrid, a.k.a. "phablet," to perform many basic tasks. (That may change: Samsung has said the Gear will likely work with other Galaxy phones in the future, though it didn't specify when.) In other words, the watch will only work with a small subset of devices for the foreseeable future. That severely limits its appeal and potential audience. Because in the end, I'd have to spend $300 for the Gear and purchase a Note III. That's too rich for my blood.
Galaxy Note III可不是人人都有。除非每個購買Gear的用戶都有一臺Galaxy Note III，不然多半是委屈了它。三星的智能手錶必須通過藍牙與三星最新款的平板手機配對，才能運行許多基本功能。（雖然三星表示未來Gear也可能支持Galaxy手機，但具體時間還沒有確定。）換句話說，在短期內Gear只能和三星的小部分設備配對，勢必大幅降低它的吸引力，也極大地影響了潛在用戶。最後一來，我必須花300美元購買Gear，然後還要搭買一臺Note III。我可沒這麼多錢。I don't love the so-so battery life. According to Samsung, the Gear should go a day in between charges depending on how it's used. That's just average as smart phone battery life goes and disappointing when it comes to so-called smart watches. To compare, the Pebble smart watch lasts up to a week before needing more juice. Sure, the Pebble uses a simpler black and white screen and lacks the bells and whistles of the Gear, but I still expect more out of the latter. I'm OK plugging in my phone before I go to bed each night. But my watch? Not so much.
電池續航差強人意。三星表示，根據使用情況，Gear的續航時間爲一天左右。這樣的表現和智能手機相差無幾，這難道還是所謂的智能手錶嗎？看看競爭對手，Pebble智能手錶的續航時間可是高達一整週。當然，Pebble僅僅配備了一款簡單的黑白顯示屏，而且也沒有Gear那麼多花裏胡哨的功能，但我還是希望後者的電池能更給力一點。每天晚上睡覺前給手機充電是理所當然的事，但手錶也需要嗎？
