Electric. That’s the atmosphere at an iPhone launch. Seated in one of Apple’s exquisite presentation venues (most recently, the Steve Jobs Theater), waiting for the CEO to saunter out onto a dark stage with nary a prop, just the promise of new things, your heart races and the hair on your arms stands at attention.

电动 。 这就是iPhone发布时的气氛。 坐在苹果公司一个精美的演讲场地(最近是史蒂夫·乔布斯剧院 )中，等待首席执行官带着一个道具在黑暗的舞台上闲逛，只是对新事物的承诺，你的心跳和手臂上的头发引起注意。

It almost goes without saying that there will be no physical iPhone event this year when Apple officially unveils its expected iPhone 12 line. With media, analysts, invited guests, and Apple executives all still socially distanced, and each of us experiencing the new while wearing casual clothes or pajamas as we watch Apple CEO Tim Cook welcome us through our small screens, the amperage will be low, the goosebumps flat.

毋庸置疑，当苹果公司正式发布其预期的iPhone 12系列时，今年将不会举行任何iPhone活动。 媒体，分析师，受邀嘉宾和苹果高管之间仍然在社交上保持距离，我们每个人都穿着休闲服或睡衣体验新事物，因为我们看到苹果首席执行官蒂姆·库克(Tim Cook)通过我们的小屏幕欢迎我们时，电流强度会降低，鸡皮flat平。

Even so, this is exciting, no? Another new set of Apple smartphones to ogle and imagine holding. “I’m excited,” I tell myself, willing the normal reserves of enthusiasm to the surface but knowing that this time is different.

即使这样，这还是令人兴奋的，不是吗？ 另一套新的Apple智能手机，让人想起和持有。 我对自己说：“我很兴奋，”愿意将平时的热情储备浮出水面，但是知道这次是不同的。

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what the iPhone 12 (and its attendant variations) will bring and have been running the refashioned iOS 14 for months in an effort to get comfortable and conversant in all the new software features that will come with the new phones.

我花了很多时间思考iPhone 12(及其附带的变体)将带来什么，并且已经运行了经过重新改版的iOS 14数月，以期使他们熟悉并熟悉随附的所有新软件功能。新手机。

No Apple consumer product launch, though, save the small updates (and the iPhone SE revival that arrived in April), has ever launched in an environment like this, one where the fate of humanity still hangs in the balance.

但是，除了小规模的更新(以及4月到来的iPhone SE复兴)之外，没有任何苹果消费产品发布会在这样的环境中发布，在这种环境中，人类的命运仍然悬而未决。

So, I have to remind myself: It’s just a phone.

因此，我必须提醒自己：这只是一部电话。

Apple’s iPhone 12 will probably be a major redesign. The namesake device might be smaller and with sharper edges than we’ve seen in years. It’ll be both a throwback (so much like the iPhone 5s) and a leap forward (5G, finally!). It’ll be faster and more energy efficient (A14 Bionic). It will see further (3x or 5x zoom) and present reality-bending augmented reality (LiDAR). It will not change the fate of the world. No iPhone 12 can solve the pandemic. Even an operating system with contact tracing in it can only tell you the bad news and not inoculate you from infection. No one expects this of a mobile phone, nor should they. But as the rumors heat up and interest in just what Apple will do on the week of September 13 (my guess for the launch) reaches a fever pitch, it bears repeating.

苹果的iPhone 12可能会进行重大重新设计。 与几年前相比，同名设备可能更小且边缘更清晰 。 这既是回退(非常像iPhone 5s)，又是飞跃( 5G，最后！ )。 它将更快，更节能( A14 Bionic )。 它将看到更多(3倍或5倍变焦)并呈现出弯曲现实的增强现实(LiDAR)。 它不会改变世界的命运。 没有iPhone 12可以解决这一大流行。 即使是带有联系人跟踪功能的操作系统也只能告诉您坏消息，而不能使您免于感染。 没有人期望手机如此，他们也不应期望。 但是，随着谣言升温，人们对苹果公司将在9月13日当周所做的事情(我对发布的猜测)的兴趣达到了高潮，它需要重复。

It’s just a phone.

只是电话而已。

Apple iPhone 12 will probably offer us more stylistic choices than ever, with the line possibly ranging from flat edge to curved, from dual cameras to quad, from 4G to 5G, and from LCD to 120hz OLED. It will offer prices that range from $599 to almost $1,200 and sizes that range from 5.4-inches to 6.7 inches. So many options to satisfy so many tastes and budgets. That’s good, and important in its own way. None of these new devices will fundamentally alter the social landscape in a way that heals deepening wounds of disagreement on so many fundamental issues.

Apple iPhone 12可能会为我们提供比以往更多的样式选择，产品线可能从平坦边缘到弯曲，从双摄像头到四镜头，从4G到5G以及从LCD到120hz OLED 。 它将提供的价格范围从599美元到1200美元不等，尺寸范围从5.4英寸到6.7英寸不等 。 有很多选择可以满足这么多的口味和预算。 很好，并且以其自己的方式很重要。 这些新手段都无法从根本上改变社会格局，从而无法治愈在许多基本问题上加深分歧的创伤。

It’s just a phone.

只是电话而已。

Don’t get me wrong. I welcome this distraction. My career in tech media is built on moments like this. And yet, even someone as steeped as I am in tech minutiae, has struggled to focus on this moment. By now, an iPhone launch typically occupies 75% of my thoughts and activities. I’m usually preparing for the trip to Cupertino and strategizing exactly how I’ll cover the typically 2-hour event and subsequent hands-on experience.

不要误会我的意思。 我欢迎这种分心。 我在科技媒体上的职业是建立在这样的时刻之上的。 但是，即使是像我一样对技术细节一无所知的人，也都难以专注于这一刻。 到目前为止，iPhone的发布通常占据了我的思想和活动的75％。 我通常会为前往库比蒂诺(Cupertino)的旅行做准备，并准确地计划如何涵盖通常的2小时活动和随后的动手体验。

While I expect a virtual event, there will be no direct interaction with other tech journalists, hands-on experiences, or in person background meetings with Apple execs. When the time comes, I’ll just pull up to my home office desk, power up the screens, and start watching. But unlike typical events, I’ll be simultaneously tracking world events, looking for word of a COVID vaccine, news about the Presidential Elections, updates on protests. I won’t be quite as focused as normal because…

虽然我期望举行虚拟活动，但不会与其他技术记者进行直接互动，亲身体验或与苹果公司高管的亲身背景会议。 时间到了，我就拉起我的家庭办公室桌，打开屏幕电源，然后开始观看。 但是与典型事件不同，我将同时跟踪世界事件，寻找COVID疫苗的消息，有关总统大选的新闻，抗议的最新消息。 我不会像以前那样集中精力，因为……

It’s just a phone.

只是电话而已。

There is a chance that Apple will unveil something so unexpected and startling that I’m snapped back to my normal self and 1,000% involved in the moment. The iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max are all unlikely to be the only products on stage in a couple of weeks. Apple will reiterate all its platform updates (macOS, tvOS, watchOS, iPadOS, iOS), and I’m sure Apple has new tablets, AirPods, and Apple Watch updates in the wings. It might even finally show off those Apple tracking tiles, revive the Apple multi-gadget charging pad, and finally give us an Apple Service Bundle price. I’m interested in seeing all of that, though none of it will be that “OMG, I can’t believe they launched that thing.”

苹果很有可能会推出一些出乎意料和令人震惊的东西，以至于我又回到了正常的自我状态，而此时此刻，我有1,000％参与其中。 iPhone 12，iPhone 12 Pro和iPhone 12 Pro Max不太可能在几周内成为仅有的产品。 苹果将​​重申其所有平台更新(macOS，tvOS，watchOS，iPadOS，iOS)，并且我确定苹果即将推出新的平板电脑，AirPods和Apple Watch更新。 它甚至可能最终炫耀那些Apple跟踪磁贴 ，恢复Apple 多配件充电板的价格 ，并最终给我们Apple Service Bundle的价格。 我有兴趣看到所有这些内容，尽管这些都不会是“ OMG，我不敢相信他们推出了该产品。”

Apple Glasses could be THAT thing, but I’d be shocked if Cook and company even mention it.

苹果眼镜可能就是那样，但如果库克和公司甚至提到它，我会感到震惊。

No, this will ultimately be the iPhone 12’s stage, which is fine. I’m ready for a faster iPhone with better cameras, a longer lens, LiDAR, and more, but we’re long past the days where anyone could call this the “Jesus Phone.”

不，这最终将是iPhone 12的舞台，这很好。 我已经准备好使用性能更好的相机，更长的镜头，LiDAR等更多功能的更快的iPhone，但是我们已经遥遥无期了，任何人都可以将其称为“ 耶稣电话” 。

It’s just a phone, and I’m okay with that.

这只是一部电话，我对此表示同意。