Two New Apple iPhone Commercials Take Aim at Verizon



It seems as if Apple has taken some offense to the latest Verizon ad attacks that have targeted the iPhone as well as the AT&T network. Engadget Mobile points out that Apple has fired back with two commercials of their own and really rubbing in the fact that on the Verizon network you can not be on a phone call while checking your email, browsing the web, etc...

So if you were not a fan of the latest AT&T commercials what are you thoughts on these released by Apple?

Yes, we know if you are reading this on your iPhone you will not be able to view the videos, we feel your pain but as soon as there is a YouTube link we will update the post.

Commercial number 2 after the break!





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Two New Apple iPhone Commercials Take Aim at Verizon


Hmmm, wow, apparently Apple doesn't know about wifi because yeah, you can still be on calls and on wifi no problem. So much hate going on against networks. Wow.

Yep no iPhone on verizon now. Looks like were stuck with AT&T. Although I don't have a problem with it, works fine here :)

No, this is a valid point they're making. I was stopped dead behind an accident on the freeway a couple of months ago (literally not moving -- I wouldn't type on my iPhone otherwise!) and on a business call I couldn't get off, but I was able to use my e-mail at the same time to alert the person I was meeting that I would be late, and check traffic past the accident to see how it would be once the accident was cleared. It's a good feature, and they should brag about it.

Antony that's why the commercial says "Can your phone and your 'network' do that?" Not "Can your phone and your network plus wifi do that?" You may not always be in a wifi zone. +1 Apple.

Statistically speaking, these are about 2000% better than the ATT replies :). Math, people! I kid. Liked them quite a bit, though, they are more understated and don't call out VZW directly which makes them seem a little more mature. The next one should be - Want a powerful smartphone that has a media player interface that won't make you want to stab yourself and all of your friends? And that handles video without having to download additional obscure apps from the Android Marketplace?

What's so sad half or more than that would jump on an iPhone for Verizon. Can you say no iPhone. No matter what you Verizon fanboys say or how you justify anything that you say deep down you want one. Sidebar. Do any of you guys even use half of the things each phone has? I doubt it seriously. You just want to say my phone can do this or that like some little kids. So much more to life than constantly pulling out your phone. Or even if you were that important your company would be footing the bill for your phone period. Apple software update 4.0. Getting you alittle scared. The bar will be raised

I'm a bit put-off by Apple's partiality to AT &T. Yes, I know it's a business requirement, but I guess I feel that, since Verizon's network is demonstrably better than A T &T's, they're simply on the wrong side of this battle. Then again, the iPhone is one hell of a device to have in your arsenal, no matter who you're fighting for.

OK, but you can do this only on 3G . With the spotty AT&T 3G coverage, there are not many places to do that, so it's not that much of an advantage.

The ad is very well done. The ad agency that Apple uses does excellent work.
Apple seems to spend huge amounts on advertising for a company of its size. Does anybody have any hard info?

Apple's ads are much less direct. Of course they are playing up an advantage ATT has over Verizon, but there is no direct mention of brands or anything like that. In a way, I see that as much more of a high road than direct, pointed attacks.

AT&T's 3G coverage is just as good, if not better and faster then Verizon in 99% of the places that it counts. Nobody cares if Verizon has a cell tower in the middle of the Texas desert. Take into account the new network upgrades and expanded coverage of the HDSPA 7.2 (3.5G) network already rolling out from AT&T and I can say that I'm glad I left Verizon. Add in AT&T's outstanding customer service vs Verizon's 3rd world country employee's and it's a no brainer.

I made the switch about 4 months ago, to AT&T from Verizon. One because of the iPhone and two the crappy service and coverage in my area. The 3g is much better(faster) and service has been much better. Just my two cents...

this makes me laugh. verizon was told no by apple so now they have to lambast at&t and apple's iphone. now instead of verizon maybe trying again and getting the iphone after nest year they shoot themselves in the foot and now apple and at&t are more than likely going to extend the exclusivity deal. good thing i extended my contract with at&t i think.

yes you can use wifi but they are talking about the networks them self wifi is device based not network. so if your not in range of wifi you can't do that.
I think Apple should have showed they are the bigger one by not getting involved and just beating Verizon with a superior product.
I will find it very humorous if Apple releases the iphone on sprint and Tmobile just to spite verizon. Because even if the FCC rules against exclusive contracts they can't force a manufacturer to sell for a certain network.
I mean if verizon was smart they would have just attacked AT&T and left the iphone out of it so they did not piss off Apple.but too late for that.

I've been reading a lot of posts on this topic. Both AT&T and Verizon have good and bad coverage. I work in the Silicon Valley and I get more dropped calls and spotty 3G coverage with AT&T than I did with Verizon who has a better network here. Than I go to other places in California and it's reverse where AT&T is better. No I could care less to talk on my phone and check my email. That would mean I had to switch to speaker phone mode. Why let my conversation be heard to check or surf the web. Now I did switch to an iPhone because I wanted a phone that had an internet browser just like a laptop of PC. If Verizon phones had that capability I wouldn't have left and I may use only 20 out of the 100,000 aps. So I'm not really impressed with the iPhone but im keeping it till the end of my contract than I can switch back to Verizon.

Every iPhone comes with headphones. You don't have to turn on speaker to do something else like check emails.

You folks are all missing the point.
Apple feels so vulnerable to the Droid that it has to take out attack ads against it.
Apparently Droid is not as easily dismissed by Apple's management as is is by the fanboys around here.
Look: Is the ONLY thing you guys can scoff at with regard to the Droid seems to be talk+data?
You do realize that Motorola can have the Droid (or similar phone with different name) on ANYBODY's network by 7:30 tomorrow morning don't you?
Motorola is not APPLE. Motorola actually KNOWS something about cellular networks. They are not dependent on a low bidder like Infenion to supply chips.
Apple is worried.

Am I the only one who finds the humor in this at the end of a post about Apple praising itself? I can't see the videos so I can't really comment on them but how's this?: I can't see them and I'm not even making a call at the moment.

I have an iPhone and my gf has a Droid Eris. I used to have a BB Storm (POS phone). While I tend to think the Droid Eris looks more like a girl phone (smaller, less masculine than iPhone), it is sometimes too complicated for her. The basic functions are easy enough, and yeah the notifications pull-tab is pretty sweet, if she wants to make any substantial changes to her phone, she has to spend a significant amount of time (that she doesn't have) on the Android Market looking for mods/downloads. I'm starting to think that I should've just bought her an iPhone, at least it is simple enough to use AND enjoy fully, plus we'd be talking to each other for free.
VZW and AT&T need to make peace, get over it, and start working together so their customers can have better tech and a better communication experience. Maybe they can help out Sprint and T-Mobile while they're at it.

"Apple feels so vulnerable to the Droid that it has to take out attack ads against it."
Droid wasn't mentioned, not even obliquely, IceBike - that's just you projecting again. And if these "attack ads" are a sign of Apple's "vulnerability", what do Verizon's attack ads say about VZ and their own "vulnerability"?

wow. actually a great post by icebike on this. so instead of disagreeing
"Apparently Droid is not as easily dismissed by Apple’s management as is is by the fanboys around here."
agreed. who here has actually used a droid, or even just played around with one? it is clearly a very, very good device and possibly even a great device. it has some flaws, but so does the iphone.
this very blog, which has been very critical of non-iphone devices in the past, gave it an incredibly positive review.
in fairness, i don't think people are scoffing at the droid, they are scoffing at verizon's claim to having a better network. while clearly better than AT&T's in respect to range, it lacks some of AT&T's capabilities and should be called on that.
that said, i find it HILARIOUS that apple is touting its ability to surf while you talk, when surfing while you text is impossible because you have to close the app you're in whenever you want to reply. something that is not a problem on android, btw.
agreed. motorola is not some fly by night company. do some research into some of the things this company has done in the past and is doing now. they are a serious tech company and an innovator.
i think the point that icebike is making is that the droid and future android phones are serious rivals to the iphone, to the point where the iphone itself is becoming somewhat of a liability and needs to start touting the qualities of the network in order to defend itself.
up until this point, everyone new verizon had a faster network with more range, but it didn't matter. the big scare for apple is that now that hardware and software parity is beginning to be achieved, it actually does matter.

Buying more AT&T stock right now. Not only did they say it at the end Apple put out their own commercial with AT&Ts carrier logo at the end..

Apple is very good at keeping things quick, simple, and to the point. If the Droid is as good of a phone as people say, Verizon and/or Google needs to advertise it better than they are. They seem more interested in sci-fi effects than they are in showing off what the device does.

I agree that Apple is probably taking notice of the Droid and sees it as a major competitor, but I don't think these commercials are a reflection of that. These commercials are obviously in direct response to Verizon's "Map For That" ads, not the Droid. I would expect to see counter Droid commercials shortly, though.

screw verizon if u ask me how about someone call them out about how they knowingly sold a shitty bberry storm os and had to go to third party sites like crackberry to install updates that shoulda cameout when the device was launched, then u go into verizon store they say no updates available. i even had the updates on my bberry storm and verizon workers were like "where did u get that i didnt know that was out" in my head im like ok i no more about this phone then u do, guess you cant tell me why my shit sux then huh switched to iphone/w att i have faster clearer call quality and internet service here in annapolis md i even won $500 in a radiostation guess the song challenge with the shazaam app thanks to my 3gs.

Wait wait wait.........
...this commercial is not a true representation of how things really go!! If AT&T is whining and moaning about how Verizons commercials are a misrepresentation of what is really going on, then I submit the same counter offense to AT&T.
This is how the commercial should really go:
-Say you're on a call....and you're friend wants to know "what times the mov....................
(dropped call)
....end of commercial.

has anyone though that just maybe Verizon doesn't even want the iphone?? just a thought.
i also dont think verizon cares what apple says..its a battle between networks and apple has no control over who's network is better.

the problem with the droid is that the UI is slightly less intuitive than the iPhone's, in part because it results in a more efficient UI for day-to-day use.
i mean, the iPhone is practically designed around looking good in 30 second commercials, whereas the Droid is designed as a workhorse that sacrifices a very small amount of intuitiveness in return for more powerful and faster functionality.
for example, android has a great "drag down" action that lets you pull down the messaging pane from the top toolbar that is easy to do and very efficient, but would look confusing on a TV spot compared to "pressing the green button" iPhone UI.
.. and some of the things the droid does particularly well, like backgrounding apps, aren't things that are "visual" in a way that translates to a TV spot. its beautiful, high pixel density screen isn't something that can really be demoed on a TV screen either.
android phones aren't going to get popular by way of TV ads. they're going to get popular as more people buy them and their friends get jealous about the everyday things the things the droid can do that their iphone cannot.

@jpsal what are you doing here? Trolling? Do you have a iPhone? Or AT&T? If no why are you here? I love when you veritrolls and droitrolls come here here and troll? Verizon is not that great guy. They have spotty if no coverage at all in my area(suburban buffalo NY). I had them I know. Coverage is different in all places in this country. Where I I'm AT&T smokes verizon in coverage, and 3g speed. Plus over all AT&T 2.5 edge is just as good as verizons 3g. So AT&T 3g is better and faster. And AT&T's edge is everywhere in the country.
@icebike. Come on really?? Trust me apple has no fear off the dam droid . And I'm not speaking as a fanboy. I'm speaking from what is on paper.

I know I know I know, verizon is just a network competing for their share of the market BUT when you have to throw down a DEVICE rather than just a network, a device that is pretty much (very much) better than the device being advertised; it gets pretty low. Verizon should (in my opinion) stop airing their commercials against AT&T and come up with better schemes and AT&T should stop airing theirs against verizon etc etc etc. It only causes problems and makes verizon AND AT&T desparate for attention. Again, IMHO.

A very good response to Verizon's claims, while not attacking Verizon directly. Now why can't their Mac ads be more like that, instead of these childish Mac vs. PC types that are getting long in the tooth?
But seriously, Apple should no longer consider making a CDMA/GSM hybrid as per earlier rumours in order to stick it to Verizon and instead, add T-Mobile USA to their roster once its exclusivity with AT&T ends.

I didn't mean to suggest that the Droid should necessarily be "demoed" close up as the iPhone is. It could be advertised, as many other phones are, with some narration on what it can do, or how it solves everyday problems, without even being shown up close. Instead, they've chosen the Terminator route that seems to have not been very effective so far, in my opinion.
Verizon's attack ads on AT&T (Misfit Toys) are FAR better executed than the commercials for their very own device. Maybe their coming soon.

I think AT&T should just enlist apple to make their ads and keep their luke wilson (whos movies I throughly enjoy) ads on the dl.

as much as i hate att they have a point. if your network sucks dont point fingers at another one. i mean att has so much more functionality then verizon and no bloatware like verizon i feel bad for phones on verizon. im sorry blackberries and motorolas! not so much lg cause i really dont think their phones are good. lol so yeah kudos anyone?

GO AT&T AND APPLE. THE iPhone is the best love the new ad. NOW MAYBE NEXT YEAR APPLE SHOULD PUT THE AT&T LOGO ON THE iPhone. APPLE PUT THE AT&T LOGO ON THE iPhone i think it would look DOPE

I really hope this guy is right. If only the iPhone were available on a quality network (and if it supported Flash) it would be perfect!


Trust me

No thank you.

apple has no fear off the dam droid .

They didn't spend several million making and airing this commercial for nothing.

@icebike: I disagree completely. Why? The Droid has not even made much headway and infact the original Storm blew away the Droid's sales numbers.
As for Motorola.. you are talking about the same company that just got dominated by Samsung and LG and hasn't had a decent phone since the Droid?
If Apple has ANYTHING to be worried about its the HTC HD2 since that device's sales have EXPLODED in Europe.
I don't see Apple worried.. I see Apple more of taking a shot at a carrier that was inferring their device is junk and that they are nothing without Verizon.

that would probably be better than the current spate of droid ads, but television advertising is about being as direct as possible and once you lose the visual component the message becomes muddier.
i think droid needs to take a significantly different approach to television than the iphone, but you're right that the verizon ads are much better quality than the droid ads.
i'm reading a lot of comments here claiming that everyone is jealous of the iphone. i own an iphone and after playing with the droid, i think it is much, much better suited to my needs. it has a much better screen, better web search interface and much, much more capable messaging interface.
motorola doesn't have to sell these features individually via demos, but they do need to create the image of droid as the best device out there for people who aren't really impressed much by music and games. people who are more focused on communication, navigation, organization and searching.

I find the italicized anecdote at the bottom hilarious. iPhone can't view Vimeo, but my Droid can lol.

"The Droid has not even made much headway and infact the original Storm blew away the Droid’s sales numbers."
droid is just getting started. i live in seattle and i'm seeing droids in the coffee shops, i'm seeing developers buy them to program apps. i'm seeing my friends get excited about buying them, and sharing app suggestions with each other.
basically everything that happened when the iphone started to get rolling, but never quite happened for the storm or pre.
apple isn't worried because of sales, they are worried because they are wise enough to see a very good product being pushed by a huge provider and upsetting their narrative of total superiority.
they've never aired a defensive ad before, because they've never had to. this time things are different.

What? Lets say I am out on the town with friends and am trying to coordinate with other friends on the phone with where to go. Where is the nearest sushi place? I am NOT going to go all about the town trying to find a wifi access point. I don't want to take 2 minutes of my time trying to connect to some random wireless. I want to open up maps, do a search, and actively look stuff up. NOW.
Lets say I am out and about and a business unit wants me to log into the server to look at something. If I was on Verizon, I would have to tell them i'll call them back because I can't do it while they are on the phone. With AT&T I can keep talking and use the Wyse PocketCloud app to log in using RDP or VMware view to do work on the go. I am NOT going to tell them ... oh wait. Please hold while I look for a freaking WIFI ACCESS POINT.

@Macboy15: yes, I do have a 3GS. What bothers me is that, instead of AT&T saying "hey. we're expanding our 3G coverage", they come with this "talk and surf" crap!

@striatic: Dude... do you work for VzW.... because between the two of us i am the only one that can raise my hand to that question...
VzW is doing EVERYTHING to push that phone and it isn't working. To say that thing has the capabilities of being a hit like the iPhone is grossly inaccurate. More people come into VzW shops to play with it and leave then they do buy. That phone is doing okay but nothing outstanding and the real reason its selling decently is the sales reps will offer that phone for practically anything... Many stores have had risen return rates due to the Droid.
Also the ad says nothing about the Droid but completely attacks CDMA networks and CDMA phones.
The only phone that is a threat to the iPhone is the HTC HD2 and anyone that argues otherwise is just fanboying for the Droid and Verizon.

"Dude… do you work for VzW…. because between the two of us i am the only one that can raise my hand to that question…"
no. actually i rather dislike verizon and i think that not being able to browse while on the phone is a major liability.
i like the droid though. it is a terrific device, i've had three friends get one in the past week, and one of those people has a wife who really wants one too after seeing it in use and playing with it.
i can see people not wanting to buy it in the store, for the same reasons i don't think its strengths translate to TeeVee ads. it takes more than a couple minutes to grok it, but when you do, it is impressive. it's the kind of thing that will take word of mouth to spread. it's the OS more than the device, although the droid does seem to be the first phone to really run android in a slick, responsive way.

Hey guys. I'm on sprint. And i have a Palm Pre. As much as i like AT&T, there is not a day that goes by where i dream of an iPhone for sprint. For me, sprint is the deal for personal reasons. My dad has AT&T with a 3GS i gave him as a father's day present. I've always loved the iPhone and this ads are really funny. I am really open minded so i do research on all major carriers (sprint, tmobile, verizon, at&T) and i live in Puerto Rico, so verizon doesnt exists here (i really dont know why they took it off... some cheapo gsm carrier called claro replaced it... oh well) and am interested in all carriers for purposes. In MY opinion actually, i don't really find android too exciting, now please dont come killing my ass off just because i said that, it's just a matter of personality and liked. And since im on iphoneblog im gonna say this: the iPhone may have a LOT of things that just injure us, but the things it CAN do, it is second to none. That is why i admire Apple's iPhone so much. It's just so darn snappy and beautiful, that just gets me wondering why other phones that are supposed to have more powerful hardware cant run half like an iPhone. Now, i know iPhone doesnt "multitask" (excluding first parties) and that may be a major reason for the non laggy UI. But, i just wish that other companies would just see that example of engineering that apple has, and make their own way in devices. And then, smartphones will be better overall.

I have the storm 2 on verizon.. but I love apple, can't we all just get past this stuff and just choose whatever device and network FITS YOU best. Just check the coverage area and get whatever company fits you! I am saying this after having both iPhone 3G on ATT and Storm 2 on Verizon currently

Boy, you iphone die-hards are unnecessarily ruthless. Look, businesses don't fight back because their product is superior; they fight back when competition heats up. Apple is beginning to fight like the they do with the Mac ads. Unfortunately, they fight like little girls and Microsoft beats the crap out of Mac sales every year. Although some of you hardcore Fans don't want to admit it, Verizon and Android phones are starting to cause Apple to worry.
This ad was aimed at Verizon, but I doubt Apple will try a similar ad aimed at Android devices. Thus far, there has been only one thing Apple has that Android doesn't: iTunes. With Apple having DRM free music for the last year, moving to other devices isn't as hard; and any Android on T-mobile can talk surf, email, and text all at the same time. But there are plenty of things that Google has that Apple doesn't because it's not Apple's core business. Search, Email, office apps online, Voice, chat, Maps, Wave, books, and more. If these services weren't important then Apple wouldn't have integrated some of them into the iphone (for now).
And for anyone who is appalled that Android (or any other smartphone)users are posting here, look at the bottom of the page as the same owners of this website own some of the most visited smartphone pages. Get over yourself. And before you ask: iphone owner(2G), former At&t customer (now t-mobile), and former At&t sales manager.

I like that apple is getting into the fight they need to b. I. C. T. H. Slap verizon and then deliver the knockout punch in June to all those droidboys but fanboysbhave to admit apple has NEVER fired back like this to defend their iPhone so they are either getting nervous or just trying to jump on the hoopla wagon and score some publicity points. 7 months from now I'm sure apple won't dissapoint all their fanboys/girls.

These ads are fantastic. Apple has the skill to give Verizon a well placed shotgun to the face with class. 1,000 skill points in awesome to Apple. The iPhone rocks, ATT is boss, and haters can spread their tears somewhere else.

I had Verizon for 4 years and switched to att, att is a 110% better. I tried several of Verizon's phones, and the iPhone trumps them all. A good comparison is the ATT/Apple philosophy feels very opened source and the Verizon philosophy feels very restricted with a lot less freedom.

Some folks are talking as if Apple is just waking up to the competition...Steve Jobs has each of the competitor phones on his desk and he's playing with them everyday. (Ok..he really should...I would.)
What Motorola needs...since we haven't heard from THEM at a few hundred trendy-hip stores sprinkled in urban areas. Then, they need to have parties for each opening, send out viral video of 20-30 somethings crowding the doors for a chance to play with Motorola toys...
If these companies made their products essential to the culture, there would be a whole different ball game here. Apple has spent millions over the years ensuring that we NEED Apple products to be "in the know" and " in the now".

Hilarious. Your network still needs a signal to "talk and surf" I've got a map for that :) VZW is so much better than AT&T. Droid is cool, but still wish for certain apps that I had on my iPhone to show up in android. Still not enough to make me go back to AT&T.

In the UK the iPhone's been on the o2 network and I've never really had any issues with it, but now that the contract is coming to an end, i think Orange are going to try to get in on the Apple love so it'll be interesting to see how competitive they are against o2, i can smell some discounts around the corner!

I think the real insecurity/vulnerabilty is being shown by all the trolls that show up here, day in and day out, to bash the iPhone.

When will you guys understand its not about devices but the networks. Yes tha iPhone is shown in the ads but only beceuse its ATT flagship device and if you noticed not one single DROID is in VZWs ads. They're attacking ATT not Apple. Its Motorola that's attacking Apple and I say bravo that they have the cojones to do so.

Have fun with your Lucas device while it is still good. Google's own gPhone will come to AT&T next year bringing all other androids as second class phones.

fine print

apple doesn't give a shit about the droid. Sorry to break it to you. The only company that apple really pays attention to is apple. The droid will not put a dent in apples profits.

@Yeshua Watson
Microsoft beats the shit out of mac sales? I didn't realize Microsoft made computers. Interesting. As far as more computers being bought that run windows.....well I would hope so. How many companies make pc's? How many make macs? Think please.

I learned early on in my professional career that it was easier to talk politics and religion than picks sides in any iPhone, BlackBerry, Pre (WebOS) or Android death match.
I will say this:

  1. Blackberry is the real loser here, and I have no idea why they don't use Android to take care of their weak Web UI and use their classic, branded features to full advantage.
  2. iPhone, which I no longer use as my one phone to rule them all, truly is the only phone that can do it all when it comes to media. iTunes is something none of the others will every be able to trump. I have no idea, though, why Apple doesn't come out with sliders, game-pimped keyboards, and other form factors, let alone more visible multi-tasking. Lots of us have gotten bored with the iPhone, and we don't have to be. But make no mistake, it was Apple who came in as an outside and shook up mobile telephony by introducing a phone a solid ten years—or more—ahead of its time, if left up to the Motorolas and Nokias and RIMs of this world.
  3. The Android OS sort of levels the playing field between the iPhone and other phones in terms of interfacing with the web. Apple's not scared of the Droid or Motorola. It's scared of Google. But Google isn't beat Apple the way some of you are talking. Google is playing a different game and simply making sure that whatever phone you use to access the mobile web—including an iPhone—that they'll be there.

So while I don't think Android is going to win, Google will, and so will Apple, on their own terms. Even Palm's WebOS may surprise by carving out a stronger niche than expected. But BlackBerry--my favorite hardware maker, to be sure--has definitely seen better days.

The fact that on the Verizon network you can not be on a phone call while checking your email, browsing the web, etc..They need to overcome it if its really a serious problem.Another thing might be longevity of battery

@Therealtruth - You are correct. I should have clarified that statement. It should have read "PCs running Microsoft's software beats the c r a p (sensors made that worst last time) out of Mac sales each year." My mistake.

First off the commercial that says you can't browse while your on the phone is a bald face lie, there's no limits to what you can do on the droid while on the phone. Any app, browser, mail.. so its pretty sad that their come back to the verizon commercials is complete lies

but do people really need to surf the web while they are talking to someone? that seems kinda disrespectful to someone you are talking to.