Filed under: iPhone, App Store
New iPhone ad series features wide range of apps
Another week, another Apple ad on TV -- a new entry in the series of iPhone commercials that have dropped the "This is how you enter the App Store" opening. Eagle-eyed readers have also noted that some of the new ads include a subtle "Sequence shortened" caption that reminds us things may go a bit slower in real life than they do on TV.
In this ad, Shazam was given the special treatment. Shazam [iTunes link] is an iPhone application that can tell you what song is playing on the radio (or other sound source) -- just hold your iPhone up to the speaker, and let Shazam do the rest.
Now that Apple has started centering the iPhone commercials around the applications on the App Store -- including ads featuring Urbanspoon, Loopt and MLB At Bat -- it's easier to get a sense of the range of possibilities on the device. You can view the new commercial by visiting the iPhone ad gallery page.
Which application would you like to see appear in an iPhone commercial? What's your favorite iPhone application so far? Be sure to let us know in the comments!
Thanks to everyone for the tips!
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Dan Neuman said 4:44PM on 11-09-2008
While it might not make a flashy commercial, I think the eReader app from ereader.com is something everyone should know about. It is easy to browse and buy books using Mobile Safari, then download them to your iPhone/Touch for reading. I now always have something to read on the bus, or waiting in line at the bank.
I've read about 35 books on the Treo using their app, and I find reading on the iPhone/Touch even better. And since I always have mine with me, I use it far more often than I would Kindle.
The DRM used by eReader is pretty decent, too. It is keyed to your credit card and name, not to any particular device, so it is easy to move a book between computers or devices. You can even "lend" it to a friend you trust, either by keying in your credit card number when they open the book, or by e-mailing the number to them. Clearly, this has the same benefits of a normal book, without the risk of someone putting the book on a sharing network. If you have to have DRM, this is the way to do it.
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dandaman said 4:53PM on 11-09-2008
Entirely expected, but pretty slick nonetheless how Shazam identified the background song for the add as the one playing.
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Daniel said 4:57PM on 11-09-2008
Yes, I just saw this ad during a football game...pretty slick looking app. I don't think it would translate well to an ad, but my favorite app is the AP News Reader...so much easier to carry than a newspaper...
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dandaman said 5:02PM on 11-09-2008
Oh, and you know what app I would LOVE to see an ad for? mine!
WordSalad
App Store: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=291073955&mt=8
Please Apple?
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5amson said 5:29PM on 11-09-2008
Nice Audioengine A2 speaker cameo too!
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Stephen.4 said 5:17PM on 11-09-2008
They also changed the "This is how we enter the App Store" ad to include the "Sequence shortened" caption. Most likely to do with that law suit last month...
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photar said 5:34PM on 11-09-2008
I'd love to see Winter Snow Globe featured. That app is awesome.
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grull27 said 6:33PM on 11-09-2008
Shazam works miracles!
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artifex said 6:36PM on 11-09-2008
How about a kid doing battle with his dad, with the light saber app?
I guess someone could do a spoof, reprising Star Wars Kid, too. ☺
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Karl said 7:10PM on 11-09-2008
I'm pretty surprised that Apple started playing the song on the iPhone at a quality that made it sound bad. In all honesty, even a sample sounds better than what they did.
Sure, they have to differentiate between the ad music and the iTunes store sample and they faded it in at the end to high quality, but it just seems weird that they'd imply the sound from iTunes is that quality. Strange, when you consider how Apple usually is about showing flaws (see "sequence shortened").
Even if this isn't an actual flaw.
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samiam said 4:32AM on 11-10-2008
@Karl: "I'm pretty surprised that Apple started playing the song on the iPhone at a quality that made it sound bad. In all honesty, even a sample sounds better than what they did..."
I don't think that is what most people would think when they hear that. It doesn't say anything to me about the iTunes copy of the song: I immediately thought that they were illustrating that song was playing right from the iPhone, a small handheld device with a small speaker. Any device like that, held up to be heard without headphones is going to sound like that to people gathering around it.
Karl said 9:32AM on 11-10-2008
Right. I understand their point. It's just - the iPhone doesn't actually sound anywhere NEAR that quality.
bearxor said 11:39PM on 11-10-2008
Under-promise and over-deliver.
Tony said 7:13PM on 11-09-2008
I'd like to see Gasbag in a commercial. Its awesome finding the cheapest gas and sharing that info with everyone in my area using that app
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ryaninc said 8:32PM on 11-09-2008
I have Shazam on my G1, but I've heard the program is identical to the iPhone version. I love it and use it a lot. I was at Universal Studios the other day and it correctly identified a song playing over the loudspeakers, even with all the crowd background noise. Very slick!
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Toren said 8:33PM on 11-09-2008
I think Shazam is hands-down the most useful app of all.
Google Earth might be a nice app to feature in an ad...
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artifex said 3:39PM on 11-10-2008
It's neat, but most useful? Do you really use that app more than your other apps? I really don't have a need to figure out what song is playing in the background at a store or restaurant on a daily basis. :)
gessl said 9:14PM on 11-09-2008
I like the free webcam app WorldView
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Jon said 9:23PM on 11-09-2008
Dynolicious would be a cool app for Apple to show off.
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Joe Arredondo said 10:32PM on 11-09-2008
The iphone is amazing platform and offers a sight of what future mobile computing will looks like...
And hope more developers can get the chance off sell their things there, more closed Apple become, the less chance they have To Get new and better apps....
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