Samsung mocks Apple again: This time it's poking fun at iPhone's throttling troubles
Video: Samsung's new advert mocks the Apple iPhone 6's performance.
Source: Samsung/YouTube
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Samsung has released a new ad poking fun at the iPhone ahead of the launch of 128GB and 256GB editions of the Galaxy S9.
Samsung's marketers appear to figure that the most likely group of iPhone owners to upgrade to a Galaxy S9 instead of an iPhone X are iPhone 6 owners, who feel cheated by Apple's iPhone slowdown controversy.
The ad, which uses the same music as last year's creepy Notch guy ad, homes in on the performance of the iPhone 6, which constantly lets its owner down, causing her stress, suffering, and envy.
The first 40 seconds of the ad show the iPhone 6 owner, Carmen, gradually broken down by the device's slow performance, setting the stage for a scene at an Apple Store where Carmen realizes it's that darn "battery throttling" issue that's behind her misery.
It's understandable why Samsung focused on this issue, even if the ad is filled with cheap shots at an iPhone from 2014.
Apple is facing dozens of class action lawsuits from customers who feel wronged by the performance-management feature Apple secretly slipped into iOS. And it drove suspicions that Apple was artificially degrading iPhone performance to boost upgrades.
Samsung probably hopes this group -- and iPhone owners holding back on an iPhone X upgrade for Apple's 2018 lineup -- recognize themselves in its latest ad.
At the airport security gates, Carmen is forced to apologize to an unsympathetic TSA officer because she's waiting for the device to load her boarding pass. A Galaxy S9 owner meanwhile breezes through security.
After she's through, Carmen receives a text from mom asking whether she's "upgraded from that iPhone 6 yet?", followed by a screaming face and turtle emoji.
On the plane she gives up on watching media because the TV app is slow to load, while the Galaxy S9 passenger next to her is enjoying a graphics-heavy game.
At her destination now and in pouring rain, she accidentally hops into someone else's Uber ride, again because her app loads too slowly.
After finding the right ride and now en route to her hotel, an exasperated and soaked Carmen asks the driver to stop at an Apple Store.
"Can we fix this phone tonight? It's really slow," she asks the Apple Store actor.
"You can turn off the performance-management feature, but it may lead to unexpected shutdowns," says the store worker.
The penny drops. "Battery throttling," says Carmen to herself.
"Or you can just upgrade it."
Carmen's had enough though and outside the store an enlightened Carmen recognizes the notch guy who now has a young child who inherited the creepy hair-do.
Finally, a smiling Carmen who's upgraded to a Galaxy S9 texts her mom to say she's made the upgrade, bragging that it's lightning fast.
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