Sam OliverVerizon debuted the new commercial, entitled "Breakaway," on national TV this week. The largest wireless carrier in the U.S. began selling the Wi-Fi-only iPad, bundled with a 3G MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot, late last month.
The commercial touts that "all of the magic of iPad" is now available with the "nationwide power and reliability of Verizon." It depicts an iPad user sitting inside a home, but the floor and walls begin to break away, leaving him sitting on a coastline using the device.
The commercial is particularly noteworthy because Apple is a company very controlling of its own image. For example, AT&T, the exclusive carrier of the iPhone in the U.S., does not create its own commercials for Apple's handset.
The commercial could be a sign of things to come: Verizon is widely expected to begin carrying a CDMA version of Apple's iPhone starting in January of 2011. That information has been independently confirmed by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and Fortune.
It has been reported that control over the iPhone — including advertising of it — was a major point of contention between Verizon and Apple in 2005. The carrier and Apple could not come to a deal, and the device debuted on AT&T's network in 2007.
But in order to bring the iPhone to Verizon, Apple may be compromising — as evidenced by the iPad commercial. Fortune also reported in October that Verizon's iPhone is expected to offer special features, like live TV for customers of Verizon's FiOS cable service.
Andrew Orr
Amber Neely
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
AppleInsider Staff
39 Comments
The commercial is particularly noteworthy because Apple is a company very controlling of its own image.
Hence "all the magic of the iPad". Verizon guys rolling their eyes at it until they get a stern look from the Apple rep overseeing the commercial production.
That's just because they're idiots. They couldn't put out a good commercial even if Apple wrote one for them.
Ah, still on that kick. Where've we heard this before? OH! The months leading up to January 2008, 2009, 2010...
Oh, so Apple told each of them individually that there will be a Verizon iPhone? Apple. Specifically. With proof of this action. Thought so.
If the compromise is that they let Verizon do their own ads and they keep their hands off the iPhone itself, fine by me.
Ah, still on that kick. Where've we heard this before? OH! The months leading up to January 2008, 2009, 2010...
Only because you weren't paying attention. For the past few years, every even mildly credible rumor pointed to late 2010 (so early 2011 is pretty accurate time-wise). Anyone who thinks there were rumors that pointed to anything earlier than that either weren't reading/understanding the rumors, or where foolish enough to have believed the stupidest rumors that were out there.
Anyone who thinks there were rumors that pointed to anything earlier than that either weren't reading/understanding the rumors, or where foolish enough to have believed the stupidest rumors that were out there.
I never believed them. Just like I don't believe them now. Zero proof. I'll believe it when Steve Jobs is standing on stage with a Verizon logo on the screen behind him.
Look Apple is a public company that concedes to the whims of stockholder and wall street pressure. Now I know how much we would like to think of Apple as a kind of maverick but they ain't.
They have to follow the money. That is business.
I also had a feeling that Apple wasn't on Verizon because Verizon wants demonic control over their tech!
But if iphone goes on Verizon I don't think the itunes experience will be the same. And without the finely tuned Apple media ecosystem on the iphone it ain't worth the money IMHO. There would also be a bunch of Verizon effing apps pre-installed. Yuck!
Fu** Vcast!!
The camera should come back in 4 hours when the battery for that wifi device wears out.