三星Galaxy S5真机实测

    魔镜魔镜告诉我，谁是最好的安卓手机？

    在上周某个短暂的时刻，答案显而易见——它就是HTC One（M8）。我曾在另一篇评测文章里毫不夸张地称它是市场上最好的安卓手机。但我在那篇文章里也提到，三星（Samsung）很快就会发布最新旗舰手机Galaxy S5（三星的旗舰手机也是全球卖得最好的手机之一）。那么S5能否经受得住自HTC这个规模较小的竞争者的挑战？尽管它并没有必要非得成为市面上卖得最好的手机。

    像HTC One一样，三星Galaxy S5也运行了最新的安卓4.4.2KitKat系统，另外三星还在它上面蒙了一张“皮”，也就是三星自家的TouchWiz界面。这是三星差异化战略的重要一步，它总体上改变了手机界面的外观和感觉。（有些人包括我自己在内，都认为三星之所以通过TouchWiz向用户提供自己的应用和服务生态系统，是在为脱离安卓改用自家的Tizen操作系统做准备。证据是三星最近发布的Gear2、Gear Neo和Gear Fit等可穿戴设备都运行了Tizen操作系统。）大家很难在S5的5.1吋大屏上忽略TouchWiz的独特界面，除非你的注意力被手机背面的仿皮革材质吸引了。

    S5搭载了一颗高通骁龙801处理器，2GB内存，一块2800毫安时的电池。但这些配置给人的吸引力还远远比不上S5的“防水防尘”性能，尤其是三防性能最近在消费电子产品中正流行。我自然不会放过这一点，我把我的评测样机放在一碗水里浸泡了10分钟左右，仍然可以毫无问题地使用。不管市面上有多少设备具有三防功能（其实已经很多了），S5的三防性能仍然让我印象深刻（不过当我不得不进行防水测试时，我的心里还是有点不自在）。

    再说说内部的零件，它的内部结构和新HTC One几乎一模一样。按道理S5也应该是一款很快的设备，但测试结果却截然相反。S5在实测种的性能可以用迟钝来形容。我再次遭遇了在新HTC One上发现的多任务延迟的情况，另外在接电话的时候它的响应也很慢——电话铃声响起以后，我把它拿起来，要先等屏幕亮了才能接电话。一般使用的时候也觉得它有些迟钝。

    这款手机背面搭载了一颗1600万像素摄像头，下面还安装了一颗心率监视器（我们后面再详细说它）。S5的摄像头软件让用户可以控制一些先进的照相功能（比如ISO和曝光度），而且还包含了图像稳定功能、HDR模式和滤镜等。像当今市面上的大多数摄像头一样，它也可以录制1080p高清视频。前置的210万像素摄像头还算不错，用于视频通话或偶尔自拍绰绰有余。在我的评测中，这颗摄像头在低光环境下捕捉图像时出现了一些困难，但总体上毫不逊于如今市面上的其它主流旗舰手机。

    这部手机还内置了一款名叫S5 Health的健康应用，通过手机搭载的各种传感器计算用户的步伐、追踪用户的活动，监测他们的心率。如果要测心率的话，你首先得静止不动地待在一个没有太多背景噪音的地方，然后把手指放在手机上的一个指定位置，以确保传感器获得精确读数。我本人亲测的几次结果参差不齐。有一次我连续7次尝试获取读数失败后，不得不重新启动手机以便让它正常工作。不过在能获得读数的情况下，测试结果与我当时的实际心率还是吻合的。

    S5还在Home键下面安装了一枚指纹传感器，以此来与苹果的iPhone 5S进行竞争。但在实际测试中，我发现这项功能实在太需要改进了。我注册了拇指指纹后，经常会出现手机无法识别我的指纹的情况。S5的指纹检测程序要求用户把手指放在Home键正上方，然后稳定地向下滑动。如果你的手指放得不够中间，或者没有完成滑动的程序，手机就会要求你再扫描一次。有时我第一次就幸运地通过指纹解锁了设备，但是更多时候我得尝试两三次才能成功。如果你想光靠一只手搞定指纹识别程序，那还是算了。一方面它的屏幕很大，另一方面对滑动的标准又很高，只靠一只手拿着手机进行指纹解锁绝对是个挑战耐心的过程。

    S5的电池在评测过程中给我留下了深刻的印象。手机充了一次电后，我连续使用了36个小时。考虑到这部手机还添加了指纹传感器、计步器和其它专为TouchWiz而设置的功能，这个成绩可以说非常惊艳。另外S5还含有两种不同的省电模式，用来扩展续航时间。

    那么你到底是不是应该购买一部Galaxy S5呢？这取决于你是否已经有一部S4了。S5只不过是在S4基础上的小幅升级，而且升级之后有好的一面（摄像头和电池）也有差的一面（指纹解锁、心率监测）。三星的Galaxy S5按照大多数标准来看都是一部强悍的手机，但它总体上并没有把各个零件的潜力发挥到极致。个人认为，为什么S5最具卖点的功能在执行上做得不到位？这的确是个令人费解的问题。（财富中文网）

    译者：朴成奎

    Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the finest Google Android phone of them all?

    For a brief moment last week, the answer was clear: the HTC One (M8), which I declared in these pages -- without hyperbole! -- to be the best Android device on the market. But as I mentioned in that review, Samsung would shortly release its Galaxy S5, the new version of its flagship model (and one of the best-selling devices in the world). Would the S5 stand up to its smaller competitor's charms -- even though it need not be the best to sell?

    Like HTC's device, Samsung's Galaxy S5 runs the newest version of Google's (GOOG) Android operating system, 4.4.2KitKat. And like HTC's device, Samsung has also chosen to install a "skin" on top of it -- Samsung calls its version "TouchWiz," and it's a big point of differentiation for the company, changing the overall look and feel of the phone's interface. (Some people, myself included, view TouchWiz as Samsung's way of bringing its own ecosystem of applications and services to users in preparation to move away from Android to its own Tizen operating system. Evidence of the start of this transition can be found in the recently released Gear 2, Gear Neo, and Gear Fit wearable devices, all of which run Tizen OS.) It's a look that's hard to miss on the phone's 5.1-inch screen -- unless you find yourself distracted by the phone's faux-leather backing, that is.

    Inside the phone is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, two gigabytes of memory, and a 2,800 milliamp-hour battery. But none of the phone's innards can hold a candle (or perhaps a hose) to Samsung's choice to make the Galaxy S5 "water-resistant and dustproof," a feature that has been in fashion in consumer electronics as of late. Naturally, I couldn't let such a claim go untested, and after letting my review unit sit in a bowl of water for roughly 10 minutes, I was able to use the device without issue. No matter how many devices on the market carry this protective feature -- and there are now many -- I will remain impressed (and slightly nauseous when forced to test it).

    But back to the parts inside. With nearly identical internals as the new HTC One, the Galaxy S5 should be a fast device. I found quite the opposite. In testing, the S5's performance was sluggish at best. It suffered from the same multitasking delay I found on the new One, but also slowed performance when receiving a call -- when the phone would ring, I would pick it up and have to wait for the screen to light up before I could answer it -- and during general use.

    The back of the phone carries a 16-megapixel camera, with a heart rate monitor tucked just underneath it. (More on that shortly.) The phone's camera software gives you the ability to control more advanced photo features (ISO, exposure) and includes image stabilization, HDR mode, and filters. Like most other cameras on smartphones today, it is capable of capturing 1080p high-definition video. The front-facing camera is a respectable 2.1-megapixels, which is fine for its intended use for video calls and the occasional presidential selfie. In my testing, the camera did have some difficulty capturing photos in low-light environments, but overall I found it to be on par with other leading smartphones available today.

    The S5 comes with an S5 Health app that uses the phone's various sensors to count your steps, track activities, and monitor your heart rate. The heart rate monitor requires you to place your finger over a designated area while remaining still and with little background noise in order to get a reading. My experience with it was mixed. On one occasion I had to restart the S5 after seven failed attempts for a reading in order to get it to work -- though when I was able to get a reading, the results were in line with a manual count of my own heart rate.

    By adding a fingerprint scanner under the home button, Samsung is able to remain competitive with Apple's iPhone 5S (AAPL). At least on paper, anyway: In testing, I found the implementation of the feature to desperately lack polish. After registering my thumb, I routinely experienced trouble getting the phone to accept my print. The swipe process requires you to place your finger just above the home button, and then move down in one steady gesture. If your finger isn't perfectly centered, or you don't complete the swipe, you are asked to scan again. Sometimes I would get lucky and unlock the device on the first attempt, but it was more common for me to see success on my second or third attempt. And if you're planning on using the reader when holding the S5 with just one hand, forget it: Between the size of the screen and the requirement to swipe ever so perfectly, the entire effort is an exercise in frustration.

    As for that battery: It was impressive during my testing. I was able to consistently see 36 hours of use from a single charge. This is remarkable considering the added fingerprint sensor, step counter and other TouchWiz-specific features. On top of that, the Galaxy S5 includes two different power-saving modes to help extend the battery.

    Should you buy a Galaxy S5? That depends on whether you have a Galaxy S4. The new model is a minimal upgrade over the old and with the good (camera, battery) comes the bad (fingerprint scanner, heart rate monitor). Make no mistake, Samsung's new Galaxy S5 is a formidable phone by most measurements -- but the sum is no greater than its parts. Why Samsung's execution lacks for its most marketable features is, for this fair reviewer, a real head-scratcher.