Sprint vs. Apple, round one, FIGHT!
Coming this summer: Sprint vs. Apple. Instinct vs. iPhone. Who has got the guts to win?
I’ve seen this reported in a few places, that Sprint is going to spend $100,000,000 on a marketing campaign aimed directly against the iPhone. Why am I the only one that loves this?
For the first time in nearly a year, Apple is actually going to get some competition. iPhone knock-offs do not count as competition. The Instinct, and more specifically this marketing campaign, is something I would consider real competition. They are using Apple’s own tricks against them (see: the Mac vs. PC marketing campaign).
Some of the points these commercials pick on are related more to AT&T’s EDGE network than the iPhone itself, but that’s ok with me. The point is, Sprint’s EVDO and GPS features in the Instinct are better than the current iPhone’s EDGE and “location aware” features. The interface might not be as good, but that is besides the point.
If this campaign forces Apple to move even one-step faster than they would otherwise, or if this makes AT&T and Apple make EDGE faster, the “location aware” features better, or the new iPhone hardware even $1 cheaper than they would have - then I am all for this campaign reaching as many eye balls as possible.
Competition has always been good for the consumer. As much as I love my Apple products, I want them to have the stiffest competition possible if it means I will end up with even better products than I might have otherwise.
Be sure to go over to Gizmodo and watch the commercials.
Source: Sprint Spending $100 Million to Kick iPhone in the Nuts (iPhone Wearing Cup)
Tags: apple, competition, gizmodo, instinct, iphone, marketing, mobile phones, sprint
May 8th, 2008 at 10:30 am
Good point, I totally agree with you on this one…
How come my iphone can’t recieve mms or do cut & paste, that’s crazy
May 8th, 2008 at 10:35 am
Preach on
May 8th, 2008 at 10:35 am
Kaysha: I think the iPhone can “receive” MMS but it links you to a a web URL and shows you the photo your friend sent you. But, I’d like to send MMS as well.
The number of features I want the iPhone to have is really, really lengthy.
Alex: I shall, brother, I shall.
May 8th, 2008 at 10:59 am
More marketing is competition? Nah - making a product that actually challenges the iphone would be. This is a 100 million hallmark card that says ‘oh hai. i’m outta ideas so now i throws mud.’
I think it’s funny, but I wouldn’t call it competition.
May 8th, 2008 at 11:10 am
Todd: The Instinct, to me, seems to be the closest thing we’ve seen yet to actual competition to the iPhone. Maybe I’m wrong. Or, actually, I’m of the opinion that people can all have their own opinions on things - and mine is that the Instinct + 100M bucks might actually make people look twice at the iPhone rather than only needing to look once.
Either way. I hope that the iPhone improves quicker, rather than slower, and if competition does it - I’m all for it.
May 8th, 2008 at 11:45 am
The problem with this phone is the “coming in June” part. I think by then we’re all expecting a 3g iPhone, possibly with GPS. With those two factors equal, I don’t think the instinct has much of a case. If this came out last Christmas maybe…
PS is it just my fanboy instincts or is the screen glaringly small on the instinct