Apple’s Got AT&T’s Back In The Current Carrier Bar Brawl. Or, Wait, Is Its Back Up Against The Wall?

Eli Milchman ()

They’ve been out for the last few days, so you’ve probably already seen one or both of the two new TV spots where Apple hops in to aid AT&T. The ads attack rival carriers by flaunting the iPhone’s ability to perform 3G-related activities while on a voice call, and end with the question “Can your phone, and your network do that?” Then the  AT&T logo then flashes on the screen in a show of solidarity right before Apple’s.

The ads follow strong assaults on TV by Verizon designed to exploit what it believes is a weak chink in the iPhone’s shiny armor, namely AT&T’s 3G coverage.

But the ads also follow one early indication that young men are deserting the iPhone en masse, as reported by CoM in a previous post.

So, are these ads a show of strength? Or is Apple feeling the heat?

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About the author

Eli Milchman

When he was eight, Eli Milchman came home from frolicking in the Veld one day and was given an Atari 400. Since then, his fascination with technology has made him an intrepid early adopter of whatever charming new contraption crosses his path — which explains why he's Cult of Mac's technology editor. He calls San Francisco home, where he works as a journalist and photographer. Eli has contributed to the pages of Wired.com and BIKE Magazine, among others. Hang with him on Twitter.

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  • dustin

    I think its a sign of Apple feeling the heat since the Verizon ads DID have a good effect. I hope Apple gets the picture they cant just sell the iPhone on ATT anymore.

  • Jed

    I think what you are seeing is the Apple frieght train about to roll over you.

  • Wyseguy

    “But the ads also follow one early indication that young men are deserting the iPhone en masse”

    Wow. One survey of a thousand people one week seems to indicate that men of a certain age group rank Motorola higher than Apple, and somehow that translates to that? A bit of a stretch, don’t you think?

    Comments like that set off the “hit-whore” detector.

  • Eli Milchman

    Wyseguy, no, or I wouldn’t have written it; your opinion may vary. I have no clue what a ” ‘hit-whore’ detector” is.

  • Charli

    here’s the thing. the ads don’t address the issue of the whole which is better question that Verizon did. they really are about the iphone with a tag reminding folks that it’s only on ATT.

    so to say that Apple has ATT’s back is a slight exaggeration.