iPhone或迎六年来首次设计大换代

近日，有媒体爆料iPhone系列手机设计将发生较大变化，引发热议。

今天你练听力了吗？

🤔️小作业：

1. Considering Apple's slow adoption of foldable technology, what can we infer about the company's overarching product philosophy?

A) Apple prioritizes rapid market entry over product refinement.

B) Apple avoids trends until they can deliver a high-quality, differentiated solution.

C) Apple depends on competitors to define product categories.

D) Apple's philosophy focuses primarily on drastic cost reductions.

无注释原文：

Apple Plans Thinner, Foldable iPhones to Revive Growth

From: The Wall Street Journal

Apple is preparing a series of major design and format changes to its lineup of iPhones and potentially other products, a bid to revive growth after years of offering largely incremental upgrades.

Starting next year, Apple plans to introduce an iPhone that will be thinner than the approximately 8-millimeter profile of current models, said people familiar with the company's plans. The model is intended to be cheaper than Pro models, with a simplified camera system to reduce costs.

The company is also planning two foldable devices, the people said. A larger device, intended to serve as a laptop, would have a screen that unfolds to be nearly as large as some desktop monitors, at about 19 inches. A smaller model would unfold to a display size that would be larger than an iPhone 16 Pro Max, intended to serve as a foldable iPhone, the people said.

Both foldable designs have been in development for years, but some key parts weren't ready. Major challenges included improving the hinge, a mechanism that allows the device to fold and unfold, and the display cover, a flexible material protecting the foldable screen.

Current foldable phones on the market aren't thin, light or energy-efficient enough to meet Apple's standards, which is why Apple has been slower to enter this segment, said Jeff Pu, an analyst with Hong Kong-based brokerage Haitong International Securities.

Apple experimented with other different designs, such as having a display on the outside of the device when it is folded, but it now favors an inward-folding design, people familiar with the devices said.

Although Apple initially aimed to introduce the larger device first to gauge market response, it now appears that the foldable iPhone will likely be ready ahead of it. Apple executives are pushing for a 2026 release, but the company may need another year to address technical challenges, the people said. As for the ultrathin phone, it would offer an alternative to consumers who like a sleek-looking device and don't mind giving up some features available in Pro models.

The company is hungry to find new ways to accelerate growth. The iPhone business, which still accounts for around half of overall revenue, is in a sales slump, with its fiscal 2024 revenue growing less than 1%. The last big wave of sales gains was in 2021, when carriers subsidized iPhone purchases to support their burgeoning 5G network infrastructure.

Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst with TF International Securities, is among the first group of analysts predicting the coming of the new devices. He said Apple executives have pushed for the fresh designs to arrive sooner. “I feel like, in the end, things will proceed according to their plans,” he said.

While the updates aren't major breakthroughs—many competitors already make foldable devices—they represent more significant changes to form and function than the company has made in many years. In recent years, Apple's main product lineup has had relatively minor updates, including faster chips and better cameras, but they haven't been enough to encourage users to upgrade their devices at the same pace as prior years.

- ◆ -

注：完整题目见本文开头；中文文本为华尔街日报官方译文，仅供参考

含注释全文：

Apple Plans Thinner, Foldable iPhones to Revive Growth

From: The Wall Street Journal

Apple is preparing a series of major design and format changes to its lineup of iPhones and potentially other products, a bid to revive growth after years of offering largely incremental upgrades.

为了重振增长，苹果公司(Apple)正准备对iPhone产品线以及另一些产品系列的主要设计方案和规格进行调整。而该公司此前多年基本只进行渐进式升级。

表示“阵容；阵列”，可以理解为产品线，英文解释为“A lineup is a group of people or a series of things that have been gathered together to be part of a particular event.”举个🌰：One player sure to be in the lineup is star midfielder Tom. 肯定列入该阵容的一名球员是中场球星汤姆。

revive /rɪˈvaɪv/ 表示“（使）苏醒，复活；（使）复兴；（使）重新流行”，英文解释为“to become, or to make sb/sth become, conscious or healthy and strong again”举个🌰：The flowers soon revived in water. 这些花见了水很快就活过来了。

incremental /ˌɪŋ.krəˈmen.təl/ 表示“增加的；递增的；小的”，英文解释为“in a series of amounts”举个🌰：Most research proceeds by small incremental advances. 大多数的研究是渐进式的。

Starting next year, Apple plans to introduce an iPhone that will be thinner than the approximately 8-millimeter profile of current models, said people familiar with the company's plans. The model is intended to be cheaper than Pro models, with a simplified camera system to reduce costs.

据知情人士透露，苹果公司计划从明年开始推出一款将比当前机型约8毫米的厚度更薄的iPhone。这款机型的定价将低于Pro机型，并将通过简化的相机系统来降低成本。

The company is also planning two foldable devices, the people said. A larger device, intended to serve as a laptop, would have a screen that unfolds to be nearly as large as some desktop monitors, at about 19 inches. A smaller model would unfold to a display size that would be larger than an iPhone 16 Pro Max, intended to serve as a foldable iPhone, the people said.

上述知情人士称，苹果公司还在规划两款可折叠设备。其中一款尺寸较大的设备有可能作为笔记本电脑推出，其屏幕展开后大小将与一些台式电脑显示器相当，约为19英寸。这些知情人士表示，另一款尺寸较小的机型展开后的屏幕尺寸将大于iPhone 16 Pro Max，旨在用作一款可折叠iPhone。

foldable /ˈfəʊl.də.bəl/ 表示“可折叠的”，英文解释为“able to be folded”举个🌰：This useful foldable bike fits in the boot of your car. 这辆很有用的可折叠自行车可以放在你汽车的后备箱里。

monitor /ˈmɒn.ɪ.tər/ 作动词，表示“监控；监测；监视，密切注视”，英文解释为“to watch and check a situation carefully for a period of time in order to discover something about it”举个🌰：The new findings suggest that women ought to monitor their cholesterol levels. 新发现表明女性应当密切关注她们的胆固醇水平。

作名词，表示“显示器，屏幕”，英文解释为“a computer screen or a device with a screen on which words or pictures can be shown”如：a computer monitor 计算机显示器。

inch /ɪntʃ/ 表示“英寸（约合2.54厘米，有时用符号''表示）”，英文解释为“a unit used for measuring length, approximately equal to 2.54 centimetres, sometimes shown by the symbol ″”举个🌰：Twelve inches are equal to one foot. 12英寸等于1英尺。

作动词，表示“缓慢地移动”，英文解释为“to move very slowly or in a lot of short stages”举个🌰：We are inching towards an agreement. 我们在慢慢努力达成共识。

Both foldable designs have been in development for years, but some key parts weren't ready. Major challenges included improving the hinge, a mechanism that allows the device to fold and unfold, and the display cover, a flexible material protecting the foldable screen.

这两种可折叠设计已开发多年，但一些关键部件此前没有准备就绪。主要挑战包括改进铰链和折叠屏盖板，前者是一种使设备可以折叠和展开的关键部件，后者是一种保护可折叠屏幕的柔性材料。

hinge /hɪndʒ/ 作名词，表示“合页，铰链”，英文解释为“a piece of metal that fastens the edge of a door, window, lid, etc. to something else and allows it to open or close”

作动词，hinge on/upon sth 1）表示“依靠，取决于”，英文解释为“If one thing hinges on another, the first thing depends on the second thing or is very influenced by it.”举个🌰：The prosecution's case hinged on the evidence of a witness who died before the trial. 控方的案子取决于一位证人的证词，而该证人已在审判前死去。

2）表示“（故事或情况）围绕着…展开”，英文解释为“If a story or situation hinges on an idea or subject, it develops from that idea or that is the most important subject in it.”举个🌰：The film's plot hinges on a case of mistaken identity. 该电影的情节围绕着一宗身份误认案展开。

📍2019年政府工作报告Part 17中提到：绿色发展人人有责，贵在行动、成在坚持。Promoting green development is down to every last one of us; its success hinges on action and commitment.

Current foldable phones on the market aren't thin, light or energy-efficient enough to meet Apple's standards, which is why Apple has been slower to enter this segment, said Jeff Pu, an analyst with Hong Kong-based brokerage Haitong International Securities.

香港券商海通国际证券(Haitong International Securities)的分析师蒲得宇(Jeff Pu)表示，目前市场上在售的可折叠手机在厚度、轻便程度或能效方面都达不到苹果公司的标准，这也是苹果公司迟迟没有进入这一领域的原因。

segment /ˈseɡ.mənt/ 1）作名词，可以表示“（群体或事物的）部分，片，段；（柑橘、柠檬的）瓣；（圆的一部分）弓形”，举个🌰：She cleaned a small segment of the painting. 她擦干净了这幅画的一小部分。

2）表示“分割；划分”，英文解释为“to divide sth into different parts”举个🌰：Market researchers often segment the population on the basis of age and social class. 市场研究人员常常按年龄和社会阶层划分人口。

3）表示“（电视、广播或互联网节目的）节，段”，英文解释为“a short piece of film that forms part of a television or radio programme, or that is broadcast on the internet”举个🌰：CNN last week broadcast a segment on homicides in the city. CNN上周播出了有关这座城市凶杀状况节目的一段。

brokerage /ˈbrəʊ.kər.ɪdʒ/ 1）表示“（外汇、股票等）经纪商”，英文解释为“an organization that buys and sells foreign money, shares in companies, etc. for other people”如：an online brokerage 网上经纪商。

2）表示“（外汇、股票等的）经纪业；佣金”，英文解释为“the activity of buying and selling foreign money, shares in companies, etc. for other people, or the money that is charged for doing this”举个🌰：The company's main activity is insurance brokerage. 这家公司的主要业务是从事保险经纪。

复数形式securities，熟词僻义，表示“证券”，英文解释为“documents proving that sb is the owner of shares, etc. in a particular company”

Apple experimented with other different designs, such as having a display on the outside of the device when it is folded, but it now favors an inward-folding design, people familiar with the devices said.

知情人士称，苹果公司还试验过其他不同的设计，比如在设备折叠时将显示屏置于外部，但现在该公司更倾向于一种内折设计。

Although Apple initially aimed to introduce the larger device first to gauge market response, it now appears that the foldable iPhone will likely be ready ahead of it. Apple executives are pushing for a 2026 release, but the company may need another year to address technical challenges, the people said. As for the ultrathin phone, it would offer an alternative to consumers who like a sleek-looking device and don't mind giving up some features available in Pro models.

尽管苹果公司最初的目标是先推出尺寸较大的设备，以评估市场反应，但现在看来，可折叠iPhone可能会先于这款设备问世。这些知情人士表示，苹果公司的高管正在推动在2026年发布这款手机，但该公司可能还需要一年的时间来解决技术方面的难题。至于超薄型手机，它将为那些喜欢时尚外观、又不介意放弃Pro机型中某些功能的消费者提供另一种选择。

gauge /ɡeɪdʒ/ 1）表示“判定，判断（通常指人的感受）”，英文解释为“to make a judgment about something, usually people's feelings”举个🌰：A poll was conducted to gauge consumers' attitudes. 为了摸清消费者的看法，进行了一次民意调查。

2）表示“（尤指用测量仪器）测量，计量，测算”，英文解释为“to calculate an amount, especially by using a measuring device”举个🌰：Use a thermometer to gauge the temperature. 用温度计测量一下温度。

sleek /sliːk/ 表示“（尤指头发、衣服）平滑发亮的，整洁的；（外形）线条流畅的”，英文解释为“(especially of hair, clothes, or shapes) smooth, shiny, and lying close to the body, and therefore looking well cared for; not untidy and with no parts sticking out”举个🌰：The cat had sleek fur. 那只猫的皮毛油光发亮。

The company is hungry to find new ways to accelerate growth. The iPhone business, which still accounts for around half of overall revenue, is in a sales slump, with its fiscal 2024 revenue growing less than 1%. The last big wave of sales gains was in 2021, when carriers subsidized iPhone purchases to support their burgeoning 5G network infrastructure.

苹果公司渴望找到加速增长的新途径。iPhone业务目前仍占该公司总收入的一半左右，但这项业务的销售正处于低迷状态，2024财年的收入增长不到1%。该公司上一次出现销售大幅增长是在2021年，当时运营商为支持自身迅速发展的5G网络基础设施对iPhone实施了补贴。

accelerate /əkˈsel.ə.reɪt/ 表示“（使）加快，（使）增速；促进；提前，（促使）早日发生”，英文解释为“to happen or make something happen sooner or faster”举个🌰：They use special chemicals to accelerate the growth of crops. 他们使用特殊的化学品来刺激农作物生长。

作动词，slump /slʌmp/ 1）表示“沉重地坐下（或倒下）”，英文解释为“to sit or fall heavily and suddenly”举个🌰：She slumped into the chair, exhausted. 她颓然跌坐在椅子上，筋疲力尽。

2）表示“（价格、价值或销售额）猛跌，突然下降”，英文解释为“(of prices, values, or sales) to fall suddenly”

作名词，1）表示“（价格、价值、销售额等的）猛跌，暴跌”，英文解释为“a fall in the price, value, sales, etc. of something”举个🌰：There's been a slump in the demand for new cars. 新车的需求量猛跌。

2）表示“萧条（期），衰落”，英文解释为“a period when an industry or the economy is in a bad state and there is a lot of unemployment”举个🌰：The airline industry is currently in a slump. 当前航空业正处于萧条期。

fiscal /ˈfɪs.kəl/ 表示“财政的；国库的”，英文解释为“Fiscal is used to describe something that relates to government money or public money, especially taxes.”

subsidize /ˈsʌb.sɪ.daɪz/ 表示“给予…津贴（或补贴）；资助”，英文解释为“to pay part of the cost of something”举个🌰：It would help to subsidize the training of an unemployed teenager. 这能够资助一名无业青少年接受培训。

burgeoning /ˈbɜː.dʒən.ɪŋ/ 表示“迅速发展的；快速生长的，繁荣的”，英文解释为“developing quickly”举个🌰：The company hoped to profit from the burgeoning communications industry. 公司希望能从飞速发展的通讯业中获利。

Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst with TF International Securities, is among the first group of analysts predicting the coming of the new devices. He said Apple executives have pushed for the fresh designs to arrive sooner. “I feel like, in the end, things will proceed according to their plans,” he said.

天风国际证券(TF International Securities)的分析师郭明錤(Ming-Chi Kuo)是最早预测上述新设备即将问世的一批分析师之一。他表示，苹果公司高管已在推动这些新设计尽快面世。他表示：“我觉得到最后还是会照高层的想法走。”

While the updates aren't major breakthroughs—many competitors already make foldable devices—they represent more significant changes to form and function than the company has made in many years. In recent years, Apple's main product lineup has had relatively minor updates, including faster chips and better cameras, but they haven't been enough to encourage users to upgrade their devices at the same pace as prior years.

尽管这些新产品并非重大突破，许多竞争对手都推出了可折叠设备，但它们代表着该公司多年来在外观和功能方面做出的更重大的改变。近年来，苹果公司主要产品线的更新幅度一直相对较小，例如提升芯片速度和优化摄像头，但这还不足以刺激用户以前些年那样的速度更换新机。

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