In a recently released commercial, Samsung once agains sets its sights on Apple's flagship iPhone, pointing out the "inadequecies" of the iOS device while at the same time touting new Galaxy features like Air View.
The ad, spotted by CNET, shows a clutch of just-graduated teenagers hanging out at a pool party with their slick Galaxy S4s. Also there are stodgy old parents with iPhones, some even carrying the newest iPhone 5, which Samsung tries to portray as a smartphone relic.
The main character, a loquacious grad inexplicably still in his gown, is the host of the party, and viewers are taken through a series of short vignettes showing off the S4's prowess in such a festive situation. For example, ribs are being served, which "are insane," but very messy. Enter Samsung's Air View technology, where a call can be answered with the wave of a hand.
In another scene showing off the S Beam file transfer protocol, a young woman snaps a pic and immediately shares it with her friend. A mother asks for a copy, but is chagrined to find out that her's "doesn't do that."
Smash cut to two girls poolside, checking out the S4's Drama Shot, which captures consecutive images of a moving scene and stitches them together to form an action sequence in a single frame. In this case a spectacular belly flop, with said flopper once again wearing a cap and gown. Perhaps they were all homeschooled.
Back to the parents who can't share photos by touching their phones together:
"So some smartphones are smarter than other smartphones," the father ponders, almost introspectively. He's setting up for the big reveal.
"Exactly," the one-with-the-times girl says. A hint of sarcasm.
"Well what are we doing with these phones," he asks, holding up his iPhone. There it is.
Snap to the main character. What really sells it for the "dude's" dad is the Galaxy's remote control capabilities. Once he sees that feature, he totally gets why the recent graduates are belly-flopping into his pool wearing full cap and gown regalia. He even chuckles. He's in.
While the latest TV spot isn't as churlish as previous Samsung commercials, it still smacks of elitism, which the Korean firm has arguably not yet earned according to the latest U.S. smartphone statistics.