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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.
如今的平板电脑市场，有一样设备傲视群雄：它就是苹果公司(Apple)的iPad。通过这款平板电脑，苹果公司像往常一样，在一个曾经被忽视的产品分类当中打造了一款创新性十足的必备品。
That was three years ago.
不过，这已经过去了三年。
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，一家专为高端客户群体打造电子产品的公司将给苹果带来真正的挑战。索尼(Sony)的Xperia Z平板电脑，运行最新版本的安卓系统；它配置了10.1英寸的屏幕，是当今市场上最薄的平板电脑，甚至薄过了苹果的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（约0.5kg），比9.7英寸版的iPad的1.44磅（约0.7kg）更轻薄。所具备的红外功能使其成为了一部能够控制客厅的智能遥控器。更牛的是，即使把它丢进深达3英尺（约0.9米）深的水中半个小时，它照样可以工作无误。
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 Amazon.com and other online retailers; it will be in Best Buy stores in July.
目前，Xperia Z平板电脑仅有wifi版本，这和iPad刚发布时如出一辙。同其竞争者iPad一样，16G黑色版本的Xperia售价为499美元（约合人民币3,084元），32G版本的为599美元（约合人民币3,702元），并有白色或黑色可选。在索尼官网、亚马逊(Amazon.com)和其他网上零售商处均有销售；7月它还将登陆百思买门店(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.
索尼已经很久没有在移动科技上抛头露面了，这款Xperia Z平板电脑的设计和定价很可能成为其重返移动科技领域的一张王牌。
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.
在美国，索尼还推出了一款同样名为Xperia Z的智能手机，这款手机的无锁版（无需绑定运营商）售价为630美元（约合人民币3,894元）。索尼CEO兼主席Kazuo Hirai说他们很快就会推出运营商版本。
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.
我已经用了Xperia Z一个星期了，即使相对于iPad来说，它仍具有很强的竞争力。时尚的整体设计，完美的屏幕，超快的速度，优质的镜头以及出色的音效，都让我爱不释手。最新的安卓软糖系统(Jellybean)运行十分流畅，而且比以前的版本都更加人性化。但是Xperia Z系列平板电脑的电池续航能力还有待提升。另外，相比iPad坚固的铝合金拉纹底板，Xperia Z的黑色塑料底板也显得比较单薄。
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统的平板电脑，也测试过其他的几款，但我还是最偏爱Xperia Z的设计。当你把它放在公文包或者背包里时，其超薄超轻机身使你近乎察觉不到它的存在。Xperia Z的扬声器位于底部边缘，即使将机身平放在桌面，也不会影响其全方位环绕立体声效。
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.
在适应了一星期之后，我决定要测试一下Xperia的防水功能。首先，我确保所有的插口都由其自带折叠式盖子盖好，其中包括一个迷你SD卡插槽，一个USB2.0插口和耳机插孔。我把播放着音乐的Xperia Z放进装满水的池子里10分钟，它不仅可以正常工作，水下播放的音乐也很清晰。
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.
当然，大部分人不会带着平板电脑下水游泳，可是很多时候他们会在经常被水溅到或水渗漏的地方使用，例如厨房和厕所。即使手指上有水，Xperia Z的屏幕依然能够辨认手势和选择，尽管不太连贯。
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.
对于日常使用，我并不认为Xperia的电池是个问题；但测试结果的确显示其电池续航能力不足。我将屏幕亮度设置在75%，开启Wi-Fi在后台接受邮件，并持续播放视频。Xperia Z的电量在5个半小时后被耗尽；而同等情况下iPad持续了近乎11个半小时。
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.
在客厅里，我通过一款预先安装的遥控应用(Remote Control app)，测试了Xperia Z自带的红外线遥控功能。我首先选择了我的设备类型和连接器，随即在屏幕上就出现了相对应的设备，包括LG电视，替你录(TiVo)，和索尼音效系统。整个过程仅仅只需要几分钟的时间。如果你在看电视的时候使用平板电脑，这款应用也十分实用，虽然大部分人只会把它当成一个用来炫耀的客厅把戏。
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.
我下载了索尼的TV SideView软件，它能够让我通过输入区号来连接有线电视供应商，并在平板电脑上面显示所提供的内容，而不会干扰电视的播放。
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.
其中华丽的“现在观看”界面(Watch Now)提供了即时播放的电视节目的浮层图像，我可以通过点击图片获得更多信息，甚至可以看到大家发的推特(Twitter)内容。划动代表该节目的方框至TV处，便可让电视转换至心仪的节目。
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.
尽管像素并不是衡量相机优劣的唯一标准，Xperia Z平板电脑的800万像素后置摄像头和200万像素前置摄像头的像素仍高过了iPad的500万像素后置摄像头以及120万像素前置摄像头。几张太平洋、朋友和沙滩的照片看上去色彩丰富又清爽明亮，好像用数码相机一样。当我在浏览相册时，每一张照片都需要花一些时间才能加载成功。
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.
如果你是安卓粉丝，并且一直期待一款设计出众的平板电脑，索尼的Xperia Z就是不二之选。只是不要期待电池续航能和iPad一样持久。
