Apple disses Verizon, Droid with tongue-in-cheek iPhone ads
Can your network do that? Apple is launching two iPhone ads Monday night that not-so-subtly knock Verizon's network.
New iPhone ads point out the differences between AT&T and Verizon's networks.
AT&T screengrab
From the "Ohh snap!!" dept.
Apple on Monday is slated to back up its buddy AT&T with the launch of two new ads that tout one of the iPhone's clever little tricks, according to BusinessWeek.
In "What time's the movie" and "Did you see my email" (posted below) the familiar iPhone announcer poses a question: have you ever been on a call and used your smart phone's data connection at the same time? With the iPhone, he answers, you can. So what?
As the iPhone ad man points out with a bit of schoolyard emphasis, ("Can your phone and your network do that?) the technology Verizon's network runs on, CDMA, doesn't support simultaneous voice and data. AT&T's network does.
And while Verizon may say its network offers more "3G" coverage – as pointed out with some level of controversy in Verizon's "There's a map for that" ads – the 800-pound gorilla is that no matter the coverage, the drool-worthy hardware (*cough* Droid *cough*), or the ability to run multiple apps simultaneously, no CDMA device yet has the ability to do both voice and data at once. (Cue sad trombone.)
Verizon and AT&T have been through a whirlwind of advertising back-and-forths. AT&T filed suit against Verizon in Atlanta federal court earlier this month, calling the "There's a map for that" ads misleading because they imply that, in areas where 3G coverage is unavailable, other AT&T voice and data services don't exist. Both services work, of course, they're just slower than with a 3G connection.
Around the same time, AT&T rolled out a series of TV spots featuring actor Luke Wilson first comparing AT&T features to Verizon (the only category Verizon wins at: "Having a name that starts with V"), and then features the star atop a floor-size map of the US, tossing out postcards from places AT&T says it has service. Tonight's new ads, posted below, are just the latest round. Expect more to come.
––
Who's winning the ad war? Does it matter? What's your take? Let us know in the comments, or join the conversation on Twitter. We're @CSMHorizonsBlog.
––
––