????魔鏡魔鏡告訴我，誰是最好的安卓手機？

????在上周某個短暫的時刻，答案顯而易見——它就是HTC One（M8）。我曾在另一篇評測文章里毫不夸張地稱它是市場上最好的安卓手機。但我在那篇文章里也提到，三星（Samsung）很快就會發(fā)布最新旗艦手機Galaxy S5（三星的旗艦手機也是全球賣得最好的手機之一）。那么S5能否經受得住自HTC這個規(guī)模較小的競爭者的挑戰(zhàn)？盡管它并沒有必要非得成為市面上賣得最好的手機。

????像HTC One一樣，三星Galaxy S5也運行了最新的安卓4.4.2KitKat系統(tǒng)，另外三星還在它上面蒙了一張“皮”，也就是三星自家的TouchWiz界面。這是三星差異化戰(zhàn)略的重要一步，它總體上改變了手機界面的外觀和感覺。（有些人包括我自己在內，都認為三星之所以通過TouchWiz向用戶提供自己的應用和服務生態(tài)系統(tǒng)，是在為脫離安卓改用自家的Tizen操作系統(tǒng)做準備。證據是三星最近發(fā)布的Gear2、Gear Neo和Gear Fit等可穿戴設備都運行了Tizen操作系統(tǒng)。）大家很難在S5的5.1吋大屏上忽略TouchWiz的獨特界面，除非你的注意力被手機背面的仿皮革材質吸引了。

????S5搭載了一顆高通驍龍801處理器，2GB內存，一塊2800毫安時的電池。但這些配置給人的吸引力還遠遠比不上S5的“防水防塵”性能，尤其是三防性能最近在消費電子產品中正流行。我自然不會放過這一點，我把我的評測樣機放在一碗水里浸泡了10分鐘左右，仍然可以毫無問題地使用。不管市面上有多少設備具有三防功能（其實已經很多了），S5的三防性能仍然讓我印象深刻（不過當我不得不進行防水測試時，我的心里還是有點不自在）。

????再說說內部的零件，它的內部結構和新HTC One幾乎一模一樣。按道理S5也應該是一款很快的設備，但測試結果卻截然相反。S5在實測種的性能可以用遲鈍來形容。我再次遭遇了在新HTC One上發(fā)現的多任務延遲的情況，另外在接電話的時候它的響應也很慢——電話鈴聲響起以后，我把它拿起來，要先等屏幕亮了才能接電話。一般使用的時候也覺得它有些遲鈍。

????這款手機背面搭載了一顆1600萬像素攝像頭，下面還安裝了一顆心率監(jiān)視器（我們后面再詳細說它）。S5的攝像頭軟件讓用戶可以控制一些先進的照相功能（比如ISO和曝光度），而且還包含了圖像穩(wěn)定功能、HDR模式和濾鏡等。像當今市面上的大多數攝像頭一樣，它也可以錄制1080p高清視頻。前置的210萬像素攝像頭還算不錯，用于視頻通話或偶爾自拍綽綽有余。在我的評測中，這顆攝像頭在低光環(huán)境下捕捉圖像時出現了一些困難，但總體上毫不遜于如今市面上的其它主流旗艦手機。

????這部手機還內置了一款名叫S5 Health的健康應用，通過手機搭載的各種傳感器計算用戶的步伐、追蹤用戶的活動，監(jiān)測他們的心率。如果要測心率的話，你首先得靜止不動地待在一個沒有太多背景噪音的地方，然后把手指放在手機上的一個指定位置，以確保傳感器獲得精確讀數。我本人親測的幾次結果參差不齊。有一次我連續(xù)7次嘗試獲取讀數失敗后，不得不重新啟動手機以便讓它正常工作。不過在能獲得讀數的情況下，測試結果與我當時的實際心率還是吻合的。

????S5還在Home鍵下面安裝了一枚指紋傳感器，以此來與蘋果的iPhone 5S進行競爭。但在實際測試中，我發(fā)現這項功能實在太需要改進了。我注冊了拇指指紋后，經常會出現手機無法識別我的指紋的情況。S5的指紋檢測程序要求用戶把手指放在Home鍵正上方，然后穩(wěn)定地向下滑動。如果你的手指放得不夠中間，或者沒有完成滑動的程序，手機就會要求你再掃描一次。有時我第一次就幸運地通過指紋解鎖了設備，但是更多時候我得嘗試兩三次才能成功。如果你想光靠一只手搞定指紋識別程序，那還是算了。一方面它的屏幕很大，另一方面對滑動的標準又很高，只靠一只手拿著手機進行指紋解鎖絕對是個挑戰(zhàn)耐心的過程。

????S5的電池在評測過程中給我留下了深刻的印象。手機充了一次電后，我連續(xù)使用了36個小時?？紤]到這部手機還添加了指紋傳感器、計步器和其它專為TouchWiz而設置的功能，這個成績可以說非常驚艷。另外S5還含有兩種不同的省電模式，用來擴展續(xù)航時間。

????那么你到底是不是應該購買一部Galaxy S5呢？這取決于你是否已經有一部S4了。S5只不過是在S4基礎上的小幅升級，而且升級之后有好的一面（攝像頭和電池）也有差的一面（指紋解鎖、心率監(jiān)測）。三星的Galaxy S5按照大多數標準來看都是一部強悍的手機，但它總體上并沒有把各個零件的潛力發(fā)揮到極致。個人認為，為什么S5最具賣點的功能在執(zhí)行上做得不到位？這的確是個令人費解的問題。（財富中文網）

????譯者：樸成奎

????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.