Android News
Droid gets a new commercial, summarily bashes iPhone
December 3, 2009 | by Evan Selleck
Android News
“Should it be a tiara-wearing, digitally clueless beauty pageant queen?” That line made me laugh aloud. Even though I can’t necessarily say for certain if all of these ads from Verizon, and now AT&T and Apple, are the best way to go about things, I still can’t help but laugh at the pieces Verizon has been pumping out lately. Or, for that matter, “race horse duct taped to a SCUD missile fast.” That’s just strange.
While the initial batch of commercials regarding the DROID were steeped in science-fiction, it seems that Verizon is taking a head-on approach from this point on. While a bank of ads attack the competition’s network, Verizon is going phone-vs-phone with this new one. Sure, the “iDoesn’t” campaign was good in its own right, this new commercial decides to throw in a lot of iPhone cameos, along with bash repeatedly how “pretty” it is, or how much like a “hair-do” it is. While I’ve never considered the iPhone in the same area as a hairstyle, I think I can grasp what it is they’re getting at.
The ad goes on and on in saying that the DROID is nothing like the iPhone. In fact, as one line suggests: “Is it a precious porcelain figurine of a phone? In truth, no.” The DROID is a robot. It does what it’s supposed to, and probably so much more, if you give it the opportunity. There have been a few jokes about SkyNet on here recently, and I’m beginning to see the likeness. If any phone was going to take over the world, I imagine the DROID would be the one to do it. Motorola probably hid some arms in there, or lasers. In any event, what do you think? Is this ad better than the iDoesn’t campaign? Don’t care? Share your thoughts!
Pretty obvious which demographic they're going for here. Guys dig robots, girls maybe not so much.
LOVED IT!
"Guys dig robots, girls maybe not so much. ""Pretty obvious which demographic they're going for here. Guys dig robots, girls maybe not so much. "
Yeah, that's a pretty stupid comment right there. I was the one leading the Droid interest/purchase in our household, not my mechanical engineer husband who spent a good part of his college life studying robots. There's nothing gender specific about that commercial. It actually looks like it's targeting my age group – the mid-20s of either gender who grew up after the ugly consumerism of the 80s and during the random cynical humour of MTV (hence the slur on Barbie). I'm pretty sure the "race horse duct taped to a SCUD missile fast.” sounds like a reference to the Powerthirst/Brawndo videos on Youtube (and in Mike Judge's Idiocracy).
Here's something that will blow your demographic theory, I am a 50+ woman who has been following the Droid when it was just a rumor. Bought mine the day it became available and haven't put it down since. I was part of the 80's consumerism and remember when MTV actually played music videos 24/7.
Hey @suzanneec,
If I may ask, what phone were you using before you picked up the DROID? Was it another smartphone? And what was it about the DROID that attracted you? Was it the commercials like the one above?
Just checked back on the site today. Had a Palm Treo prior. Been waiting for a few years for something that would work well with my mac and wirelessly sync as my Treo did and still keep my Verizon network. Patience pays off. love my iPod Touch and knew I would love the iPhone but again, it's the network. The Droid is an amazing phone.
I'm not sure that it was aimed at anyone specific – rather it seems as if they're just trying to position themselves as the anti i-phone and you have to admit that most smartphone ads have followed in Apple's footsteps whereas this clearly seems to be carving out it's own space.
Well, if the iPhone really was a slick-looking piece of crap, this ad might be clever. But anyone who's ever noodled around with an iPhone for a couple of minutes knows that it is anything but that.
Why can't they just present facts about what makes their phone great without slamming their most obvious competition? Probably because it's not really all that great.
For some people, the fact that Apple is a brand name, and makes "sexy" items for consumption means a lot. It's a status icon. For those who know phones, and know that the iPhone pales in comparison to the majority of Android devices out there, would know that this commercial does, in fact, hit right at home.
Well, the ad doesn't really help a potential buyer understand why this might be a better phone. It just says "Apple is old and sucks now and our phone is awesomer, nyah!"
So the ad is, in fact, stupid and pointless.
I do agree. I think these ads from Verizon, even the coverage map ones (while those are more viable), are made just to stab. However, someone somewhere must think they are working against the consumer base, or AT&T and Apple wouldn't have put so much money and effort into organizing their own counter-commercials.
I live in a Macintosh household. 1-24' IMAC, 2 Macbook pro's, 2 Apple TV's, iPod touch… In other words, I have helped Steve Jobs pay for his liver transplant.
I gave up the iPhone for the Droid Eris. I love it, my wife loves her's and doesn't even miss her iPhone. I like that I can run multiple apps at the same time. I like that I can listen to internet radio with an Android App and it doesn't kill my battery in less then 90 minutes of continuos play. I like that the camera is ready to take a picture in a 3rd of the time it took the iPhone to launch it's camera. Again, this is the Eris, I am sure the Moto Droid is quicker.
All that being said, the Droid isn't an iPhone killer, but it did step up the game.
Sure, the iPhone has 100,000 Apps. Big deal, how many flashlights and fart machines does one person really need? I mean, really, there is so much crap in the iPhone app store that I really doubt how serious of an argument that app number can really be. I have downloaded some great Android apps and their catalog is growing daily, and yes, they also have flashlights and fart machines.
Oh, and the fact that I am no longer with AT&T made the Droid even sweeter.
First, I have to say that initial part of your post Robert was hilarious. Made me laugh aloud. So thanks for that.
And you're right about the majority of your post. I'm glad that you and your wife enjoy your phones, but I have to ask two things:
First, why did you and your wife choose the Eris over the DROID? Was it the extra $100 off? Or was it perhaps Sense that brought you to the other side?
And lastly, while you may think the DROID is not an iPhone killer, would you perhaps say that the Eris is?
My wife and I chose the Eris over the Droid because of the HTC Sense UI. Much prettier. Lame, I know, but we know what we like. I am used to the soft keyboard and so the physical keyboard held no attraction for me. I also love the HTC soft keyboard and the long press options on them.
Granted, the Droid may have a faster processor, but that just equals quicker battery drain.
I don't think that the Eris is an iPhone killer, well, in our case it was, but it has stepped up the game. Apple is going to have to make the iPhone more customizable for the users they way the Android OS is. My friends who have the new iPhone 3GS are all saying that if they hadn't just bought it and got locked into a new two year contract with AT&T, then they wouldn't have purchased the new 3GS and gone with the Eris.
There are some things that I don't like about the Eris compared with the iPhone, I don't like that it doesn't sync with my iTunes, but I simply purchased a program called "Salling Media Sync" and that took care of the problem. It has an iTunes feel to it, so it makes the transition easier for us MAC addicts to kick the iPhone habit. I have given up my Mobile Me account, and now I just use Gmail and the Eris syncs all the mail, calendar and contacts. I set up my address book and iCal on my MAC to sync with Google so it wasn't painful to give up Mobile Me and save $150.00 a year in doing so.
Indeed. I've had Mobile Me on two separate occasions, and both times I had to talk myself into why I was paying for something like that. The fact that Google is intrinsically involved with their phones, and therefore the contacts, calendar, and Gmail makes life so much easier. And it's free.
Yes, the DROID may technically have a faster processor, but let's face it: 550 MHz is not all that much faster than 528 MHz. You're also right that in most cases in the past a faster processor meant a loss of battery life, the DROID handles its battery very, very well. Shockingly so, actually. And in some bit of irony, every time I use the DROID and transition screens, that faster processor doesn't do anything for me, because my Hero is a lot more smooth in its transitions.
And finally, I can definitely understand the idea that Sense UI is pretty. Hell, I say it to myself at least once a week. HTC did a great job with their customization, no one can argue with that.
Very nice!
I got a droid. My gf got a droid, didn’t like it, and exchanged it for the eris. Now I’m thinkin about gettin an eris too. HTC did good