蘋果邀媒體參加9月12日產品發佈活動
Apple Inc. invited the media to a product announcement Sept. 12 at which it is widely expected to announce a new iPhone.
蘋果公司(Apple Inc.)邀請媒體參加9月12日舉行的一個產品發佈會。外界普遍預計蘋果將在發佈會上宣佈推出新一代iPhone。Several media outlets had already reported on the date of the event, which coincides with when Apple typically introduces a new version of its flagship device.
數家媒體機構已經報道了這次活動的日期。活動日期恰好與蘋果通常推出新款旗艦設備的時間吻合。The email invitation had a few subtle hints. It read 'It's almost here' on a white background with a big number 12 that casts a shadow of the number five. That's likely an allusion to the probability that the device, which follows the iPhone 4S, will be called the iPhone 5.
電子郵件邀請函中還有一些微妙的暗示。在邀請函中，白色的背景下寫着“即將推出”，並且大大的數字“12”的陰影下有一個數字“5”。這可能暗示繼iPhone 4S之後推出的這款產品可能將被稱爲“iPhone 5”。
Apple faces pressure for the device to be a hit. The iPhone is the main driver of the company's business, and corporate results rise and fall based on the iPhone's sales. Apple chalked up disappointing iPhone sales last quarter, in part because potential customers were holding out for a new device, an indication of how critical product launches are for the company.
蘋果面臨着必須使這款設備成爲熱賣產品的壓力。iPhone是該公司業務的主要推動力，公司業績的好壞也取決於iPhone的銷售情況。蘋果上個季度的iPhone銷量令人失望，部分原因在於潛在客戶都在等待蘋果推出新產品時再出手，這暗示出新產品發佈對蘋果來說有多重要。At the same time, a slew of new smartphones from Samsung Electronics Co. and others have recently hit the market and garnered strong reviews. In the second quarter, Android smartphones accounted for 68% of global smartphone shipments, compared with just 17% for the iPhone, according to IDC.
與此同時，三星電子(Samsung Electronics Co.)等公司最近推出了一系列新款智能手機並獲得了好評。據國際數據公司(IDC)的數據顯示，今年二季度，安卓(Android)智能手機在全球智能手機發貨量中所佔比重爲68%，iPhone只有17%。Expectations about the new device have helped drive Apple's stock price to record levels.
外界對蘋果新設備的期待助推蘋果股價屢創歷史新高。The new iPhone is expected to have a slightly larger screen but look fairly similar to the current model, the 4S, which is roughly a year old, according to people familiar with the matter. It will also run the latest version of Apple's mobile software, which developers have been testing. It features a new mapping application and updates to Apple's virtual assistant Siri, among other things.
據知情人士透露，預計新一代iPhone將有一個稍大一些的屏幕，但看起來與已經推出了約一年的iPhone 4S很相似。它還將搭載蘋果最新版移動軟件，開發者一直在對這款軟件進行測試。另外，它還將有一個新的地圖應用程序以及蘋果語音助手Siri的升級版。Apple said the Sept. 12 event will begin at 10 a.m. Pacific time at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.
蘋果說，9月12日的活動將在舊金山芳草地藝術中心(Yerba Buena Center for the Arts)舉行，開始時間爲美國西部時間上午10點。
