Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, iPhone
Two new iPhone ads: Apple defends AT&T?
Apple's jumped into the Verizon versus AT&T fray, according to BusinessWeek, with a couple of new ads -- and, somewhat surprisingly, they come out in full defense of AT&T. Both ads show an iPhone user in the middle of a phone call who multitasks by looking up movie information, restaurant ratings, and many other things over AT&T's 3G network. The ads end with the question, "Can your phone and your network do that?" with a very prominent AT&T logo in the final seconds of the ads.As I'm personally somewhat on the outside looking in at the U.S. telecom spats, I don't know how much US smartphone users really miss the ability to do simultaneous data browsing and phone calls while on Verizon's network. Based on what I've heard about AT&T's network reliability, however, there are some areas of the U.S. where you'll be lucky to be able to make and receive calls at all, or hold on to a call in progress, much less multitask in the manner depicted in these ads.
What's most interesting about these ads is how favorable they are to AT&T. It's no secret that Apple's been less than thrilled with AT&T over the course of their relationship, and it's even less of a secret how dissatisfied U.S. customers have been with the telco giant. It's understandable that Apple wants to paint the iPhone in a favorable light, but I'm admittedly surprised that they seem to be going to bat for AT&T at the same time. Sure AT&T is their business partner, but from my point of view this smells a lot like telling your family that your less-than-presentable date for Thanksgiving has 'a really great personality.'
Read on to see the ads in action.
Apple iPhone Ad - Did You See My Email? from Arik Hesseldahl on Vimeo.
Apple iPhone Ad - What Time's The Movie? from Arik Hesseldahl on Vimeo.
[Via Engadget]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
recharged95 said 4:12PM on 11-23-2009
"Can your phone and your network do that?"
Yeah, of course. Duh.
I have a G1... Oh, BTW I also can do turn by turn street view directions via Google Nav. *as of today*. Silly Apple.
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Fernando said 4:16PM on 11-23-2009
Yeah google nav is great until your stellar T-Mobile service drops out and all you see is blank maps. The same can be said about it on AT&T of course.
Prometheus25 said 4:19PM on 11-23-2009
Yeah, I don't think they see T-Mobile as nearly as much of a competitor. In my opinion, as late as they were to the party, T-Mobile should have skipped the 3G rollout altogether in favor of a faster 4G rollout.
Even now, their 3G coverage is dismal: http://www.t-mobile.com/coverage/pcc.aspx
Really jealous of the Google nav though, I'd love to try that out.
Jitaroo said 4:41PM on 11-23-2009
Are you seriously trying to say T-Mobile is better than AT&T?
What universe are you living in? My old T-Mobile phone had piss poor reception at BEST even when I was in Los Angeles, one of the biggest cities in the US, so how do you think it is in a place like Indiana?
Prometheus25 said 4:15PM on 11-23-2009
I can't speak for others, but I personally use data all the time during calls. Looking up information on the internet is such a part of our lives now that it's bound to come up in a lot of phone conversations.
My top in-call data use:
1. Looking up directions or addresses in Maps
2. Looking up movie showtimes
3. Sending a photo via email (I'm not a big sms or mms user)
4. Checking the weather
5. Looking up miscellaneous facts on the web
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Lumi said 8:02PM on 11-23-2009
I agree on this. Although, I do not live in America (but in the Netherlands).
The whole "using 3G while calling" works on pretty much every Telco provider here, but then again, our whole infrastructural model is different (everyone sharing poles and the likes).
You gotta admit, even though AT&T might have bad network coverage, they're darned cheeky, and good at pointing out their strengths.
Greg said 4:17PM on 11-23-2009
I find this disheartening. I hope these commercials don't express Apple's true views, because if so, we could be looking at more AT&T exclusivity. I really want a Verizon iPhone...
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Munford said 4:20PM on 11-23-2009
Stop hoping for it. There won't be a CDMA iPhone ever. If you want an iPhone, go with ATT or Tmobile.
Woz said 5:06PM on 11-23-2009
Your forgetting those ads were targeting both AT&T and the iPhone. So if your Apple and going to fight back and you have to choose the lesser of two evils, may as well be the carrier that your phone is currently locked into.
On top of that, AT&T was not capable of fighting back alone with that craptastic ad they came out with.
Munford said 4:20PM on 11-23-2009
If you are happen to be in the GSM coverage area of ATT, you can't do that either.
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tony d said 4:19PM on 11-23-2009
Has Apple ever promoted AT&T's network before? Can't recall. But this is a smack at Verizon's ads that use the iPhone to criticize AT&T.
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John said 4:21PM on 11-23-2009
Usually people tend to get mad at me when I surf the web while on a phone call with them. Maybe I just need few friends?
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Bingo said 5:03PM on 11-23-2009
Yes.
mike said 1:00AM on 11-24-2009
wait, so your friends get annoyed when you stop talking for minutes at a time on a phone call.
amazing!
John B. said 4:21PM on 11-23-2009
Almost all the Verizon ads call out AT&T AND the iPhone. I think Apple is more defending its flagship product into the holiday shopping season. Apple might also be defending their position to eschew CDMA in favor of the more international GSM. My loyalty is to the iPhone. I love the platform and would probably follow it wherever it went. I don't know why people get involved in these holy wars with carriers. News flash: they all want as much of your money as you're willing to give while providing the least amount of service possible. Every carrier sucks!
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NateF said 7:11PM on 11-23-2009
"As I'm personally somewhat on the outside looking in at the U.S. telecom spats, I don't know how much US smartphone users really miss the ability to do simultaneous data browsing and phone calls while on Verizon's network."
Well considering Verizon is touting the Droid's ability to "do simultaneous apps", I think people except that to be the case all the time, not just when they're not talking on the phone.
"What's most interesting about these ads is how favorable they are to AT&T."
What's so overtly favorable about it? AT&T's network can do simultaneous voice and data, Verizon's network can't. It's fact. It's not like they're defending AT&T's coverage area.
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Anthony said 4:24PM on 11-23-2009
This is lame.
There are like 5 people on the internet who hate AT&T, and they are the only ones with the initiative to make others think they suck as well or something...
Because I have awesome service, no dropped calls, no... wait, that's the only thing people are complaining about anyway. Except MMS, but it's already here so shut up.
Plus, 3G rules.
I don't care right now that AT&T is the only one with the iPhone, their service has always been excellent. It doesn't hinder the iPhone in any way in my opinion.
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Andy said 4:35PM on 11-23-2009
Where I live, I get data speeds of close to 1Mb/sec consistently and always have perfect signal. Ironically, Verizon customers have next to no service and their text messages are always delayed or never make it to them.
It all depends on where you live and work. In some places, AT&T is better than Verizon an vice-versa. People need to stop complaining all the time - if AT&T doesn't have great service in your area, don't use them and find a way to live without an iPhone.
SpinThis! said 5:06PM on 11-23-2009
While I'm not thrilled with my at&t service—it's pretty satisfactory depending on where I am—the service is nowhere near as bad as the press makes it out to be.
I think part of it is a) people are never satisfied no matter what and b) internet posts on a forum or blog don't necessarily represent *everyone* using the product. Most people go on a forum to vent, it's picked up as a "worldwide epidemic" by bloggers and news whores with nothing better to publish and suddenly problems gets spread around as the status quo or that everyone is having the same problem.
I think consumer reports nailed it here: cell phone service pretty much sucks everywhere. Every major carrier got average marks in their annual review. I feel for people who can't get the iPhone because they don't have at&t service so in this respect it would be nice if Apple let some other carriers have it. That said, if Apple makes a CDMA phone—which is a huge if—I can see Sprint getting the iPhone before those slimy fools at Verizon since Sprint would more likely bend over to Apple.
bayxsonic said 6:12PM on 11-23-2009
@Andy: right, I want to see you without your iPhone.