Verizon Wireless has begun airing a new television commercial in the U.S. that blasts AT&T Mobility. Playing off of Apple iPhone’s ubiquitous “There’s an app for that” line, Verizon’s commercial explains that if you want to know why your Verizon 3G coverage “works so well” and why you can play “3G videos” almost anywhere, “There’s a map for that.” They show the Verizon Wireless coverage map. The spot then states that if you want to know why some people have spotty 3G coverage, “there’s a map for that, too” while showing the A&T Mobility 3G coverage map.
Direct link via YouTube here.
MacDailyNews Take: Cute commercial that omits quite a lot. Verizon’s 3G is slower than AT&T’s and, as we’ve often said: Take 10 million iPhones off AT&T Mobility’s 3G network and plop them Verizon’s 3G network and then we’ll compare “spottiness,” m’kay? We saw no mention of how much Verizon is fleecing their sheep to play these purported “3G videos” via their V-Cast ripoff scheme, either. Also, nice phones you’ve got there Verizon. (smirk)
So, what Verizon offers is a 3G network that’s larger, but slower; V-Cast videos (yuck); and crappy app-less phones that don’t measure up to iPhone, so users barely use them to tax Verizon’s network. It’s easy to boast about network quality, when you have nothing stressing your network. We’d rather live through AT&T’s growing pains, enjoy their largely hands-off approach (especially vs. the dictatorial device-limiting Verizon), and be able to keep our iPhones, thanks.
No network could handle what iPhone dishes out. Verizon Wireless is basically touting: “We blew the iPhone deal, so our ‘lucky’ customers get significantly inferior devices on a network that’s untaxed by data-gobbling iPhones. Sign up now!”
[Attribution: AllThingsD. Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “iSteve” for the heads up.]
So, uhh, what’s with the voice on the commercial that sounds like it was recorded by Thomas Edison himself in a basement about 80 years ago? Or is it just this crappy Dull I have to use here at work?
@ Kevin: It was recorded with a camera pointed at a television.
I don’t know if Verizon is any better, but AT&T;coverage here in Dallas is awful. Very slow speeds and I have had to hang up and recall my partner, we both have iPhones, it goes garbled.
I saw this commercial last night. I thought it was pretty good and is a clear concession that the iPhone is killing them. The music and pacing is clearly intending to associate with the iPhone and exploit it’s one weakness – AT&T;. If I worked at one of those firms, I would do the same thing.
AT&T;’s coverage area is lousy – you say it is faster, and i will agree that it occasionally is faster, but only at times when the network is not too busy (late night) and they drop calls all over the place.
I think it is a fair ad, but if falls short because the iPhone is so good that even using it on Edge is better than their 3G offerings. But it is a good plan always attack at the weakest point for Apple, that is AT&T;.
Well, all I can say is that it’s a far better ad than those Microshit ads we had to endure… Of course it ignores many facts we know to be true as stated above….
Bobby Skinner, thanks for that dose of intelligence and perspective.
Well, yes ATT may be faster but I teach in a rural area with that is about 50% Amish (yes, I did say Amish) and I get excellent 3G coverage with Verizon and no coverage at all with ATT. I would leave my BlackBerry in a second if ATT would extend their coverage but for now ATT is just way too old fashioned with their coverage, even here in Amish country.
OT, but no iMacs again today? Weird, next Tuesday I guess.
I live in Dallas and I have never had any issues with dropped calls or slow service. AT&T;Service in Dallas works very well.
@Kevin – he’s just really smart is he not?
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I actually think this commercial is very good and I think it will be successful. I hope it serves as a wake up call to AT&T;and they upgrade their network faster.
Best MDN take in awhile. People forget that “3G” means something entirely different to Verizon than it does ATT, as they are using different technologies. This entire commercial is FUD, and they are trying to fleece people that don’t know any better. For shame, Verizon, for shame!
Verizon, ATT & Sprint have fairly equal coverage in St. Louis. I had Sprint/Nextel for a decade before going to ATT for the iPhone. If I lived in a place with poor ATT coverage I’m not sure what I’d do – move?
Of course 95% of mobile phone users live in 5% of the US geographically. Those maps don’t explain why AT&T;is so poor in many cities
Still, for those of us in the hinterlands, the coverage maps tell the story of why AT&T;is so spotty and why Verizon works under every rock.
While I totally agree with MDN’s take, if I was in charge of Verizon’s marketing department I would run this video as well. The majority of consumers don’t know that the iPhone is what is causing the ATT sluggishness.
VERizon is trash they mickle and dime the hell out of peeps and they have the WORST line up of handsets ever!
It doesn’t show the area of Arkansas where I live as having 3G, even though I have it.
Old map, maybe?
To Verizon,
Why aren’t you on 3G?
You would have had the iPhone by now if you were.
So now users wanting iPhones have to wait until you put 4G in place – you having admitted your mistake…
Get on with it, rapido!
Nothing Verizon offers compares even closely to the iPhone experience. Still, when is AT&T;gonna step up the service? Aren’t we giving them enough money to buy some more tower gear?
Brilliant commercial. I love my iPhone, but my 3G coverage in St. Louis stinks. If Apple would open the iPhone to Verizon, I’d jump over to it ASAP.
I have great AT&T;3G coverage in L.A. and SoCal where I live. Also no problems when traveling to Seattle, Mammoth, and even SF. When I was with Verizon, I didn’t like how they charged for everything, forced manufacturers to limit handset features, and their plans were more expensive than AT&T;. BTW, where’s Zune Tang these days?
I live in Dallas too, and don’t have the same problems you have. You must live in some unfortunate dead zone.
After going from AT&T;to Verizon and back to AT&T;I will probably never go back. Verizon has OK coverage (Verizon and AT&T;are about the same in the region where I live but AT&T;’s 3G is WAY faster) but they intentionally cripple their phones and require all services to go through them resulting is absolute crap experience.
If you’re waiting for the iPhone to come to Verizon you may be waiting a long, long time – AT&T;exclusive or not I don’t think Verizon will want the iPhone as it will require them to let go of their complete control of the device on their network.
My prediction – AT&T;’s exclusive will end and Sprint and T-Mobil will get the iPhone… Verizon will not.
So, MDN, what exactly would you rather have?
SLOW service…
… or NO service?
It’s a pretty effective commercial.
AT&T;was a compromise to begin with, but from what I understand, they had more advanced technology than all the other cell service providers, except for T-Mobile.
Breaking the AT&T;iPhone monopoly can’t come soon enough!
@robert
I have to agree with @jay. I’m in Dallas as well and we have some of the best AT&T;coverage around. Mainly because the CEO lives about a mile from me. I think the saying goes… “Don’t crap in your own backyard.” I have had an iPhone since the first release day two and a half years ago and been all over with it. Dallas has it nice.