The emoji is the future of texting on the Apple Watch
The use of emojis, those little digital images we sometimes use to breath life into the staid world of text communication, has been steadily growing with the proliferation of smartphones. But with the final release of the Apple Watch, emojis may finally take center stage in the way we communicate.
When Apple chief tech exec Kevin Lynch demonstrated texting on the Apple Watch today at an event in San Francisco, he showed a conversation he was having with his friend on WeChat. The friend suggested having dinner at a restaurant called Fig and Olive. Rather than key in a response, he picked a wacky picture of a cartoon giving the thumbs up sign.
Had he chosen not to respond with an emoji, Lynch would have had to dictate his response message to the watch. Now, we don’t know how well the dictation feature works on the Apple Watch. But even if it’s perfectly functional, who the hell is going to talk into their wrist?
もし、絵文字で返答していなければ、Apple Watchに返答を音声入力しなければならなかっただろう。Apple Watchの聞き取り機能がどれほどのものかは分かっていない。しかし、完璧に機能するとしても、手首に話しかける人って、一体、どういう人だろう？
同氏が絵文字以外の方法で返事しようとしたなら、時計に向かって返信メッセージを声で吹き込まなければならなかった。Apple Watchの音声入力機能がどれほど性能が良いかは分からない。しかし、どれほど機能が完璧でも、果たして、手首に向かって話しかけようとする人がいるのだろうか。
Probably the same people who early adopted Bluetooth head pieces in the early 2000s. You know who I’m talking about. Those early adopters, all men with slicked back hair (perhaps a vestige of late ’90s fashion?), that were found in public talking really, really loudly into an ugly Bluetooth headset prominently displayed on their ear. There is a reason that you don’t see that anymore. For one, it was a public nuisance, and two, most people don’t want to be seen yelling into a device.
Enter the emoji, the digital hieroglyphics that, in many cases, can substitute for lettered language.
絵文字を入力しよう。この象形文字のデジタル版がほとんどの場合、文字を使った言葉の代わりになる。
デジタルの象形文字である絵文字を入力すれば、多くの場合、文字言語の代わりとすることができる。
Already the emoji is gaining in popularity. In 2013, some 74 percent of people in the U.S. reported using emojis or stickers in text communications, according to an article by New York Magazine. In China, 82 percent people said they use digital characters. And while the emoji is on the rise, the Apple Watch could be the platform that pushes its popularity to the highest heights.
![[削除済みユーザ]](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/695023b4efd563721d13716b1457bc73.png?d=identicon&mode=crop&r=PG&s=42)
翻訳ありがとうございます。
大変申し訳ありませんが、以下の理由によりこの翻訳を却下させていただきます。ご了承ください。
1. 翻訳ガイドラインからの逸脱
2. 不自然な日本語 startupdating さんはこの翻訳を却下しました。
Digital conversation will need to evolve in order for people to effectively talk via the Apple Watch. The emphasis will be on short bursts of hyper-functional communication rather than extended conversations. Here, the emoji can play a vital role. For instance, let’s say your friend asks you what you want to do tonight. You can send them a dancing lady emoji, or a beer, or a steaming bowl of ramen. With 722 characters to choose from, you can say a lot without words.
It’s true that for more complex communication, emojis are not the most effective. However, that’s the moment you pull out your phone. Since the Apple Watch needs to be near a corresponding iPhone for the majority of its functions, full-fledged texting is still an option.
But the Apple Watch in general, for those who can afford it, will mean taking your phone out less, and emojis will definitely be the best vehicle for communication.
Now, if only emoji’s were searchable. …
しかしこれを買う余裕のある多くのユーザにとって、Apple Watchがあれば概して電話を使うケースは少なくなるのだろう。その時、絵文字はコミュニケーションの最適な手段となるに違いない。
ただ、絵文字が検索できれば、の話ではあるが・・・
しかし全般的に言って、購入する余裕がある人にとっては、Apple Watchがあれば電話をわざわざ取り出す回数が減る事になるし、絵文字は間違いなく最高のコミュニケーション手段になるだろう。
さて、あとは絵文字が探し出せるかどうかだ...
「chief tech exec」を「最高技術責任者」と訳出しました。