“Apple’s jumping into the battle that sees Verizon Wireless and AT&T flaming each other in advertisements, but unlike AT&T’s recent effort to defend itself, Apple’s new pair of iPhone ads are actually good,” Jared Newman writes for PC World.
“To recap, Verizon fired the first volley with ads that dissed AT&T’s lack of 3G coverage. AT&T sued Verizon, claiming that the maps mislead viewers because areas with slower coverage appeared in white, giving the impression that those areas had no coverage at all. A judge ruled in Verizon’s favor, allowing the company’s ads to keep rolling. So AT&T retaliated with a lame and even childish ad that featured actor Luke Wilson checking off four bullet points in the carrier’s favor,” Newman writes.
Direct link via YouTube here.
Newman writes, “Apple’s ads take a different direction. Instead of flinging mud at Verizon, they demonstrate how the iPhone takes advantage of AT&T’s ability to place calls and use data at the same time… Instead of merely saying why AT&T’s network is superior, as Luke Wilson did in AT&T’s ad, Apple actually shows us how simultaneous voice and data can be useful to iPhone owners.”
Apple iPhone ad: “Did You See My Email?”
Direct link via YouTube here.
Apple iPhone ad: “What Time’s The Movie?”
Direct link via YouTube here.
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Carl H.” for the heads up.]
The real problem in handset reception is that the carriers were doing nothing to improve the situation. The iPhone peeled the scab back and revealed how ugly the networks are. Bad as many think ATT’s network is, the real ugly network is Verizon’s. In order to match ATT’s in data volume and capabilities (we’re all headed to data) they must change out their entire network.
Verizon demands control over what a handset can do, because its network is so fragile with no way to fix it without shit canning the whole thing. Pure and simple.
“The iPhone peeled the scab back and revealed how ugly the networks are.”
Yup. And it also peeled the other scab back and revealed how ugly the cellphones are.
If I ever PLAN on being in the middle of cornfield in Kansas I will think about switching to Verizon.
What AT&T;needs to do is a “there’s a map for that” showing a blank verizon map where u can not do simultanious voice and data
While Verizon’s 3G coverage maps may be literally accurate, it seems to me like Marketing 101 should teach you that you should always know the weaknesses of your competition. Verizon certainly seemed to. ATT should have instantly been able to point to the voice and data issue being a weakness of Verizon. Why did it take an Apple iPhone ad to bring up that point.
Perhaps ATT isn’t allowed to run an iPhone specific ad without Apple’s guidance. Now if that were true, does that mean that the iPhone is the only phone that can run both voice and data at the same time? Or did ATT simply sleep through Marketing 101?
@jimimac
Driving across Kansas, I found it to be the only place I’ve ever found that my ancient Motorola cell phone didn’t have coverage.
Whatever your POV on this little war between Verizon and AT&T;, it’s ALL GOOD for the consumer. The more they fight the more likely both their services will improve.
Now if only phone services in Europe could compete with USA services. Europe have been years ahead of all the US services. That would really give both AT&T;and Verizon a kick in the coverage.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />
@ Ken (et al),
You’re saying there are large areas in the US with NO 3G coverage?
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />
Actually snooze your analogy using FM/AM radio is wrong.
GSM is television with PiP.
CDMA is radio; one station at a time.
@Gregg Thurman
Er., too bad you’re so WRONG…
GSM is antiquated… over 30 YEARS OLD! The first CDMA networks went live in 1994, GSM went live in the 1980’s and ALL 3G technologies are based on CDMA… and LTE/4G is based on CDMA… so which technology is antiquated?
AT&T;’s 3G network is small, AT&T;admitted in their lawsuit that the Verizon 3G maps were in fact correct…
With EDGE, an antiquated technology based on GSM, you CANNOT talk & browse the web or do e-mail at the same time… so the portion of the AT&T;network where you can actually do this is miniscule….
Sorry, but UMTS is based on CDMA, that’s why they call it W-CDMA in some countries… GSM/EDGE is based on old, tired, TDMA technology…. why do you think the GSM world is trying to make the painful jump from GSM to a CDMA-based technology? Why do you think Verizon will be able to be one of the first carriers in the world to launch LTE? DUH!
Please do some reading before opening your trap! I’m tired of having to correct wireless imbeciles like you!
@Gregg Thurman
Er, Verizon has to replace their whole network? Um, let’s see, just to get 3G AT&T;(and all the GSM carriers) had to build a whole new network just to do 3G… that is why AT&T;’s 3G coverage is so poor.. this is the new network being over-layed to provide 3G data service.
Actually, Verizon having data on a separate RF carrier is actually a benefit in terms of data usage & speed. EV/DO is a straight, all IP network that dies not get bogged down w/ circuit-switched voice.
That is why in the PC World data speed tests, not only was Verizon’s data speeds faster almost everywhere, at busy hour they remained fast. B/c UMST carries circuit-switched voice & data on the same RF carrier, ti gets bogged down during busy hours as voice has to get priority while data slows to 2G speeds… while Verizon carries circuit-switched voice over the 3G-1X RF carrier & data continues over EV/DO.
In another test, the iPhone was actually faster running over WiFi to the Verizon MiFi router & backhauled over EV/DO in a moving vehicle that it was going straight over the AT&T;3G network (I believe PC World ran these tests as well) When I read that I LMFAO! UMTS is just such a pathetic technology….
Why should an iPhone, running over TWO airlinks (WiFi & CDMA EV/DO) be FASTER than the same iPhone running straight over AT&T;3G? LMFAO!