New Apple ads & redone 'Switch' site sell Android users on iPhone perks

Apple on Monday introduced an overhauled "Switch" minisite, hoping to persuade more Android users to buy an iPhone, while simultaneously releasing a related series of video ads.

Whereas the previous site was concentrated on the Move to iOS app for Android, the updated version focuses less on making the transition and more on why people should go. It uses a simple, graphics-heavy layout with quips on subjects like the iPhone's camera, technical support, speed optimizations, privacy protections and lower environmental damage.

Towards the bottom of the dedicated webpage are links to compare all available iPhone models or trade in an existing smartphone, up to a limit of $260 in credit.

There are five new 16-second video ads Apple's YouTube channel: "Music,", "Privacy," "Fast," "Jump,", and "Photos." All of these use a left-to-right motif, point to apple.com/switch, and suggest either that using an iPhone is better or that transitioning is easy.

Apple regularly touts the number of people switching from Android devices to iPhones. During its March-quarter results, it bragged that it had seen "the largest absolute number of switchers outside of Greater China that we've ever seen in the same period." The company is also typically the most profitable individual phone maker.

At the same time, Android is still the world's most popular smartphone platform by sheer quantity. The leader in the field is Samsung, though Chinese brands Huawei, Oppo, and Xiaomi have been rising fast.