Passport:“走形”的黑莓手機
????“我為什么要在乎它?” ????這是我第一次打開黑莓最新智能手機Passport的包裝盒時的自言自語。 ????我為什么要在乎Passport古怪的4.5寸正方形屏幕?我為什么要在乎它“名副其實”的尺寸和外形(它的大小和形狀都和一本護照差不多)?我為什么要在乎這部手機上預置了亞馬遜的應用商店? ????好吧,請原諒一下我的懷疑主義情緒。要說Passport手機值得喜愛的地方還是很多的。它是新CEO程守宗去年11月上任以來黑莓發布的首款產品。為了將這家風雨飄搖的公司扭虧為贏,程守宗表示,他希望讓黑莓重新扎住它在企業界的“根”,提供主要面向企業界的設備與服務。 ????一本長得像護照的手機真的適合商務旅行嗎?當然。為什么不呢? ????Passport奇異的外形無疑為黑莓拉來了一些人氣。黑莓將Passport定位為面向商務人士的終極生產力工具。如果你覺得這種定位口號耳熟的話,那是因為它之前也這樣干過:近幾年來,每次有重大的產品發布,黑莓都會推出以商務為主題的宣傳語。這家公司給人的感覺就像在說:“請原諒我們推出了粉色的黑莓Pearl Flip手機”,或“這個手機不能玩《飛揚的小鳥》(Flappy Bird)。” ????實際上,Passport的正方形屏幕的確可以顯示更多信息,而不必像傳統比例的手機一樣需要橫放屏幕。我認為這款屏幕的質量也毫不遜色于蘋果的iPhone和市面上的大多數高端安卓設備。 ????你知道嗎?Passport的屏幕雖然是正方形的,但我卻開始喜歡這種比例了。在測試中,我越來越喜歡它更寬廣的視角,同時它也沒有數字鍵盤的阻擋——不過如果黑莓犧牲一定的屏幕空間,換成經典尺寸的黑莓式鍵盤,我想我也會欣然接受。 ????我也開始欣賞起黑莓在10.3系統中推出的BlackBerry Blend功能。你可不要顧名思義,以為它是一種飲料。它是黑莓最新推出的一項服務,可以讓你通過臺式電腦等設備訪問你的手機中的內容與信息,哪怕你把手機忘在家里、車里或辦公室的桌子里都不成問題。雖然初次連接有點小麻煩,但后來我就頻繁地通過蘋果的Mac臺式電腦和iPad連接Passport手機了。 ????至于鍵盤:它與其它黑莓設備的實體鍵盤區別不大。Passport的鍵盤只有三排(而經典的黑莓鍵盤則有四排)。最底下的一排被空格鍵分開。一般位于空格鍵兩側的Shift和符號鍵則以數字形式存在于屏幕上。 |
????“Why should I care?” ????That’s the phrase I uttered to myself when I first unboxed BlackBerry’s latest smartphone, the Passport. ????Why should I care about the device’s odd 4.5-inch square screen? Why should I care that the device is the same size and shape as its namesake? Why should I care that Amazon’s App Store is preinstalled on the Passport? ????Okay, okay, forgive my skepticism. There’s a lot to love about the Passport. It’s the first product launch under BlackBerry CEO John Chen, who took over the struggling company last November. In an effort to turn it around, Chen said he wanted to return to the Canadian company’s roots by providing devices and services that appeal to large companies, a.k.a. the enterprise. ????A travel document-shaped phone fit for business travel? Sure. Why not? ????BlackBerry BBRY -1.77% positions its oddly shaped device—which certainly succeeds at drawing attention to the company—as the ultimate productivity tool for those who want to get work done. If the marketing sounds familiar, it is: In recent years, BlackBerry has let out a business-focused battle cry with every major product release. It’s as if the company is saying, “Please, forgive us for the pink BlackBerry Pearl Flip.” Or perhaps, “Here is a phone that won’t run Flappy Bird.” ????In truth, the Passport’s screen lends itself to displaying more information without forcing you to rotate the device, as you will often do with a phone of more conventional proportions. I found the screen quality to be on par with, if not slightly better than, Apple’s iPhone and most high-end Android devices on the market. ????And you know what? The Passport may be a square, but I came to appreciate its dimensions. In testing, I grew to respect its wider view, unobstructed by a digital keyboard—though I would gladly forfeit screen space to make room for a more classically sized BlackBerry keyboard. (More on that in a moment.) ????I also came to appreciate a feature called BlackBerry Blend, new in version 10.3 of the company’s mobile operating system. No, it’s not some smoothie—it’s a service that allows you to access the content and messages on your phone from your desktop computer, even if you’ve left it at home (or in the car, or in your office desk drawer). After a few initial connection hiccups, I found myself frequently connecting to the Passport from my Apple Mac desktop computer and Apple iPad. ????As for that keyboard: It’s much different than the physical keyboards found on other BlackBerry devices. The Passport’s keyboard is limited to three rows (the classic BlackBerry arrangement is four). The bottom row is split by a spacebar. The shift and symbol keys, normally found flanking the space bar, now reside on the screen in digital form. |