Apple backs up AT&T’s ad campaign, launches two commercials tonight
AT&T has been trying to pick up the pieces after Verizon launched an incredibly aggressive ad campaign against the former’s network. We’ve all seen the commercials, the lawsuits and just about everything else in between. Surprisingly, but appropriately, Apple is jumping into the mix to back up the network that is home to its iPhone in the United States. One of AT&T’s strengths is that its 3G network does voice and data simultaneously unlike CDMA/EV-DO, but Apple does a much better job in getting that point across in these new commercials. Any one of us that has been stuck in a situation where you needed to end a phone call because you had to access a website, email or app will know exactly what AT&T is talking about. Hit the jump for a peek at the new ads due to start running later today across many different TV networks.
I liked the ads even from verizon and even ads from att and apple.Competition is beneficial for consumers
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obviously you don’t do business on your cell phone. Call quality, and data coverage is “THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR”. That why I carry IPOD TOUCH for entertainment. But you really can’t knock VZW 3G coverage.
Looks like simultaneous voice and data, with Verizon, will be available sometime next year.
http://pocketnow.com/news-archive/cdma-technology-advancing-simultaneous-voice-and-data-usage-coming-soon
http://cdg.org/news/press/2009/Aug17_09.asp
Here is the meat of the article;
“A complementary device enhancement known as simultaneous 1X Voice and EV-DO Data (SVDO) will also become available during the same timeframe and will enable CDMA2000 devices to access EV-DO packet data services while in an active 1X circuit-switch voice call. For example, users will be able to send emails or access the Web while on voice calls; phones with GPS can update maps or download real-time traffic information while on voice calls, etc. This device enhancement, which enables these concurrent voice and data services, is independent of the air link standard and infrastructure.”
Except Verizon stated it will not update its CDMA networks…. and will be using EVDO Rev A for till LTE replaces it fully….
Pity that AT&T don’t have the advertising nous to do this themselves, but this is how you respond to Verizon’s excellent, and accurate, ad campaign — lay out some excellency and accuracy of your own.
Verizon had a choice a few years ago — either move to the faster and multitasking-capable EVDO Revision B but delay total 3G coverage, or get total coverage right away on Revision A but then wait for LTE to get multitasking. Of course they took the latter choice, but it means we Verizon users will have to wait at least another 3 years and switch to another device for multitasking over most of the network.
Eventually, both Verizon and AT&T will be on the same technology, and allowed per federal regulations to roam on each others’ network (a condition of the latest spectrum auction) and these coverage wars will be mostly a thing of the past. I wonder how they’ll differentiate then.
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Yes. This is why I argue that Verizon should only use LTE for data and keep 1X for voice. If they roll oul LTE and used VOLGA or One Voice the Feds will force them to allow AT&T and T-Mobile customers to roam on their (VZW) LTE network. Today, Sprint and many of the smaller CDMA carriers roam on Verizon for voice in areas where they do not have coverage. The sad thing is many Sprint fans actually brag about the fact that by roaming they can take advantage of Verizon’s network without paying what Verizon customers pay. This is actually a funny arguement that is made by them that Sprint is better. But I digress. Verizon is going to have a substantial LTE network up and running by 2012 whereas AT&T will just be getting theirs off the ground but if Verizon uses LTE for voice then AT&T can use it and abuse it just as Sprint does with CDMA today. I say let each carrier build its own network.
now that VZW is after Sprint…go talk about that. I’m done with this thread. and…
who else thinks it’s lame that BGR has “sponsored posts”. can’t we just look to the right and see that crap?
Makes me laugh everytime, without the iPhone AT&T wouldn’t be nothing. The iPhone has cool features but in the end the poor call quality is what makes me stay away. It’s cool I can multi-task but when I get a dropped call it’s not so cool.
i know many people are going to be like
“The iPhone is better than any other phone because you can call and check email and browse the web” hahah
After this ad verizon will never have the iPhone.
First off the Droids excellent call quality is what made my decision first and foremost! having dumped iphone for poor callsquality i will not get another phone no matter how many cool features it has..2nd ,apps for purchase aka appstore have been around for a very long time! apple just streamlined it..3rd the safari browser is not that much better than the google browser on the droid aside from the pinch to zoom option..they do need to do some work on there music portion of the droid its kinda week..The iphone is apples one trick pony after the exc agreement is up you will see a HUGE churn rate for att and many porting to other carriers for iphone..i for one will wait and see if they improve the call portion of the iphone in next generation models before i ever consider it again
I agree with you that call quality is “iffy” in your area it may be bad…where I live its great….so I agree and understand ATT does have issues there….but I will say this again….no one and I mean no one pays close to $100 a month with all things included just to make calls……we pay for basically a phone that can do everything we want and more, just like a home computer….and my point is no one has done a better job than Apple at this….like I said I come from Verizon, I loved there services, and I had all there cool phones back in the day…Voyager, Dare….the works. But if I am gonna pay $100 a month….I want the king…and besides call quality, iPhone is just that. I have two friends that have Droid already and they love it….I love it too….it is def. the best phone from Verizon…but it dosen’t change the game…..it just follows suit…..we need another phone that totally changes the game…and when that phone comes I will change to that network….believe me I am not loyal to ATT….I am loyal to quality….and Apple has that on lock
Do you really think that Apple will create an iphone for CDMA when LTE will be out in a year. Oh by the way LTE and CDMA are not backwards compatible. NO!!! they wont, it would not make any sense what so ever. Oh, by the way when Verizon goes LTE they will have to add more towers, alot of towers, to have the same coverage as AT&T. AT&T has more towers due to GSM not covering as large an area as CDMA but when Verizon goes LTE their coverage will be at a huge disadvantage of AT&T.
Then you obviously have no idea what either technology is all about. Verizon will continue to use 1X for voice and will use LTE for data. If anything they will need less towers for LTE since the spectrum is known for penetrating walls and traveling long distances, thats what made it so valuable. Next time try to do some actual research insted of typing what you wish and hope for. Well, I guess it is the holidays, maybe Santa will bring you a better network!
I can understand why the cellphone carriers battle it out over commercials. That makes sense. But I don’t understand why consumers, who have apparently already made thier choices of devices and carriers, argue these points. If you own an iPhone, as I do, you already know it’s strengths and weaknesses of the device and the network. If you are fine with those, what’s to argue. If you have a device with Verizon, you also know it’s strengths and shortcomings. If you aren’t happy with the products you have chosen, wouldn’t it be better to choose a device and carrier that suits your needs? If multiple-tasking was extremely important to me, I wouldn’t have bought an iPhone. Having 3G coverage everywhere in America isn’t important to me, that is one of the reasons I haven’t considered Verizon. I believe a lot of us suffer from having loyalty to carriers that have no loyalty to us. I have yet to see a carrier do anything for me or any other consumer. At best, they give you what you pay for. At worst, the service sucks and you feel cheated. By why should we argue their points? Just my thoughts.
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(Disclaimer: Never used Verizon, so I can’t say anything against it.) I’ve used both Sprint and AT&T over the years and in my area (Cleveland, OH) coverage is fine. After two years with AT&T I’ve never had a dropped call. I have experienced “dead” zones though where I got absolutely no signal, but those were areas an hour or more away from home, so it doesn’t really affect me. Personally, I hate AT&T service and the only reason I signed up with them is because of the iPhone. However, the truth of the matter is, all the carriers in the US suck; they ALL have flaws. Now, regardless of how shitty the carrier signal or service is, the iPhone is a great device. While being able to run a few third party applications at the same time would be nice, the iPhone is actually pretty decent and efficient when it comes to switching between applications: launch times are pretty quick and most save their state when closed, so when they’re reopened, you’re right where you left off. When they feel the time is right, Apple will eventually allow third party multi-tasking. I’m willing to bet it will be part of iPhone OS 4.0 and will probably only be enabled on newer hardware, iPhone 3GS and iPod Touch 2, which has the memory for it.
Regarding the talk + data dispute: On several occasions while on the phone with a friend, we’ve decided to go see a movie. It is very convenient to put the call on speaker phone and be able to look up showtimes while still talking and can discuss which would be the best time and place. There was a time when I had to look this information up in the daily paper or on the computer while talking on the phone. This is just an added convenience that isn’t realized until you need it. I don’t understand the attitude some people here have about this being a useless feature. Whether it be entirely over the cell network or over cell+wifi, the movie scenario is just one of many reasons why this is a useful feature. Not all features are going to be applicable to all users, but because you have no understanding or use for one of them doesn’t necessarily mean you need to bash it as being useless and dumb. It’s not intrusive; you’re not forced to use it, so don’t. Move on to more productive things instead demonstrating a blind hatred for it. Same goes for devices. The same goes for devices or services. You don’t like it? Great! So what? What do I care? It doesn’t affect my opinion of it.
This bout is getting uglier every minute. With apple joining the royal-bout, One should realize that the 2 companies (AT&T apple) are already
feeling the need to unite for Verizon is eating them piece by piece. Anyway, the ads of Apple today is a bit better compare to the nauseating commercial of Luke Wilson.
AT&T needs help!: http://bit.ly/att-is-calling-their-big-daddy-apple-for-help
Will Apple and AT&T wave a whiteflag to verizon?
Not be off the subject a bit, but I believe Apple’s biggest test is launching it in South Korea where they are the most wired country in the planet and has the most sophisticated phones. Sure interested in how the Iphone does over there.
You can already do this in the new driod eris by hitting the home key, running the app and then pull the top menu down to select the call again.
I wonder if Verizon has a map that explains why when im talking to my girlfriend on her Verizon phone and send her a pic, she has to hang up the phone just to check it?
att is way better verzion cause if u want to go out the country they only offer u two phones att wher i live at verzion always had drop calls and att doesnt.
This ad by AT&T/Apple is ridiculous. Yes, I have Verizon, and no, maybe I can’t surf the web while talking on my cell phone.. But in all my life, I don’t ever recall an instance at home where I will talk on the phone while surfing the web, and this is at home where I can actually talk AND be on the web SIMULTANEOUSLY. So, if I’ve never done it at home, and if I can’t think of any realistic situation where I’d want to on my cell phone, this really doesn’t do anything for me… I’d much rather have a phone that I can actually rely on when I need it, than have a phone that I can’t even use most of the time because of a lousy network.
The at&t coverage drops out a few miles out of the city. AT&T can suck my mastodonal sized cock. Unless you have perfect credit they want a deposit to go with their high prices and suck ass coverage? Fuck off!