Saturday Night Live’s December 19, 2009 “Weekend Update” bit took a crack at Apple’s iPhone with Seth Meyers telling the audience:
It was reported this week that Google will soon launch its own cellphone as a challenge to the iPhone. Also a challenge to the iPhone: Making phone calls.
Direct link to video via YouTube here.
MacDailyNews Take: Had enough yet, Apple? There comes a point where it doesn’t even matter if what’s being said is even true, it becomes a commonly-accepted “truth” and the only way to change perception is to change the game in your favor.
Is it time yet for Apple to change their game in the U.S.?
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
I think most people know the iPhone isn’t to blame for ATT’s network quality. The SNL joke wasn’t dead on so much as dead on arrival. At least they ALMOST had the right idea, though.
@ OpJ – Like Norrin Radd, I too live in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, and have had no problems with AT&T whatsoever.
So MDN’s take is correct in that this “perception” is being perpetuated by a relative minority of loud voices in influential areas such as New York.
(Unless, of course, your argument is that those voices are the only ones that matter, which people from New York tend to believe…)
Saturday Night Live hasn’t been funny since George Carlin hosted it. Either that, or every generation thinks they invented comedy, and no one else has a sense of humor.
Apple must be acutely aware that their brand is being tarnished by the association with AT&T;, and Steve Jobs surely remembers how Sculley’s Newton got destroyed by some Doonesbury comic strips. So the SNL jokes must be taken seriously be Apple’s executives.
@ MDN – Your line of argument has me quite puzzled. Why would a Mac advocate want to tell Apple that they need to change what they’re doing to help influence a false perception of truth? Hasn’t a large part of your existence been spent fighting against commonly-accepted “truths” which were in fact lies about Mac and PC systems? Please clarify this apparent contradiction…
SNL is still on the air?
Newsflash: SNL is really only funny to the current teen generation.
If you were a teen in the 70s, those were the golden years. If you were a teen in the 80s, those were the golden years, if you were . . . you get the idea.
I do know this: I don’t have any GSM coverage where I live. No joke, and not funny.
SNL is a joke
Bunch of whiney NYers is right. Same goes for San Francisco and the TWiT army of whiners that do nothing but complain there. I’ve never had a problem with my iPhone making or dropping calls. You know why? I don’t live in NYC or San Francisco. Hey whiners – if you don’t like it MOVE! Otherwise just shut the hell up and wait until the AT&T;contract expires and the iPhone becomes available on a provider you’re not griping about.
It is what it is – deal with it.
Apple: Going Rogue in 2010!
Apple needs to do something about AT&T;. I’m typing this comment on my iPhone, and I’m on the Edge network. I haven’t had a 3G signal all day!
SNL has never been funny.
heartbreak,
We do not care about your location-free ancedote. Use Mark The Spot and STFU.
People still watch SNL- even if it sucks, and yes- as was pointed out- perception sometimes trumps truth. SNL is also quoted all over the internet and news media, so this is not good. The fact is, Verizon doesn’t work in my house (only Sprint does- go figure), and my wife hates them so much we wouldn’t go Verizon in any case.
There has to be at least one or two other carriers with the iPhone to neutralize this perception. Most of the Droid lust is due to the fact that it’s Not on AT & T.
A joke about the iPhone? OMG…must attack SNL…must attack…crush them.
C’mon guys. It’s a joke. Cut the political outrage.
Having said that, it will be a good thing if/when Apple drops its exclusivity with AT&T;. Ditto for any manufacturer or carrier that limits customer choice.
I also live in the NYC area and it would be great if I was able to make phone calls with my iPhone without half of them dropping or not connecting at all. And texting is not immune to problems either. I always have to wonder if my text had been received.
@ Islandgirl – Ditto for any manufacturer or carrier that limits customer choice.
Careful – that almost sounds like a deluded Psystar fan’s line of reasoning.
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If you live in NYC and have an iPhone, you got the joke. Amazingly enough, SNL is filmed in NYC, and probably most of the cast have iPhones.
Basically, iPhone users in NYC have a phone that even billionaires can’t beat, but the ability to have calls not get dropped is probably better for a peasant in the suburbs of Beijing.
NYC network capability is pathetic. I had to restart my iPhone 3GS about 4 times and went for a walk about 6 blocks away before I could finally place a call.
Fsck NBC and their copyright claims
Careful – that almost sounds like a deluded Psystar fan’s line of reasoning.
Haha, no, Psystar was violating Apple’s own intellectual property rights.
I’m just wishing the exclusive agreements manufacturers cut with wireless service carriers would go away, so phones are released on different networks at the same time and customers have more choice there.
SNL hasn’t been funny since 2010.
i tried calling my friend, and it didn’t ring, just said what’s in the title, being “the number you have reached is not in service. this is the telus mobility network.” but that doesn’t make sense because we were just texting like last night. so does anyone know what that means? and that would explain why she’s not texting back right?
Network Monitoring Software