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Apple Joins Battle Between AT&T and Verizon

It looks like Apple may not have been all that crazy about how its iPhone was banished by Verizon to the “Island of Misfit Toys,” as it seems to have jumped into the mobile ad wars with its own spot.

We were able to watch Apple’s ad, and while there were no direct punches stricken by the ad, there was certainly an allusion to the abilities of “the other one”. The two ads showcase the iPhone’s ability to provide its users with the convenience of browsing the web and handling calls at the same time. This is only made possible, however, on AT&T’s UMTS/GSM Network, which allows for handling voice and data connections simultaneously. Verizon and its CDMA network cannot quite provide that convenience.

The battle continues. On to the next round!

There were two such ads: one was about being able to view a client’s e-mail while speaking with that client, and the other was about handling “dinner and movie” plans – confirming movie times, giving directions to theater locations and finding a sushi restaurant – all while talking to a buddy on the phone. Both spots end with the question: “Can your phone and your network do that?”

AT&T, for its part, has actor Luke Wilson “setting the record straight” as far as AT&T’s coverage is concerned in a two-part ad “series,” if one can indeed call it that. This time, though, there is no subtle reference to that “other network;” as a matter of fact, the ad cuts to the chase and opens the first part of the ad with Wilson saying “Recently, Verizon has been making a big deal about maps.” He then proceeds to “setting the record straight” by ruffling through postcards of places where AT&T is able to provide coverage, all the while standing on a coverage map of the United States.

Tags: apple ad, apple versus verizon, AT&T versus Verizon, iphone ad