Wow, what a retarded way of promoting a new device.

Wow. An entire $100 on marketing? That's sure to work. (I think you mean $100M in the first line, right?)

What I get from this is Apple makes better looking hardware than Samsung, but Sprint's data service is faster than AT&T's.
Unfortunately for Sprint, the people appear to want the Apple HW and are willing to deal w/ AT&T's service.

They should spend it on customer service.

Actually pretty funny, but yeah, a moot point. I hope they go bankrupt over this, fucking idiots. I'd like to see their entire board (esp. ceo) sprayed with the Gel Pepper Spray.

I would be interested to see these commercials using the new iPhone set to launch around the same time as the Instinct.

I suppose this is how they get idiots to buy their products? Even Apple haters have to admit that these commercials are bullshit. Comparing 3G to edge, triangulation to GPS. Of course they are going to win when they are fighting a man made of straw.

here's a secret hint for the MBA's from Sprint (who may have moved there from Motorola).

get a good product.

and don't charge the earth.

Can I have my consulting fees?

Wow: Starting May 9th, Sprint will begin a massive, $100 marketing campaign aimed straight at the iPhone's nether regions.

I hope thats how much the phone costs.

I was leaning toward the Instinct because I'm currently with Sprint but now that I see the screens side by side I may switch carriers to get the new 3G iPhone. Especially if AT&T/Apple are going to subsidize the new iPhone down to meet the price of the Instinct.

href="#c5572536">eigenguy: HAHA editor caught in fub

@eigenguy: No, that's all Sprint can afford, I think, with Nextel hanging around their neck like an albatross. To mix a simile.

Ugh. I'm a Sprint customer, and FORMER AT&T customer, and flat-out, Spring has amazing service almost everywhere in the US. I was in hicksville, Wisconsin and got all bars, and my friend had NO BARS with his iPhone.

So, people would gladly make a sacrifice to switch to AT&T? I won't.

If the iPhone ever goes to CDMA, then I'll buy it, but that's HIGHLY UNLIKELY.

What's the the stereotypical asian sounds? Fuck you Sprint.

I had no idea the iPhone was that slow...

Their Phone may be nice but Sprints service is the worst I've ever dealt with.

You're right when you say that they should spend the money improving their service.

wow, so they made the phone appear slightly faster; look like a crappy version of the iPhone with less screen.

Maybe Sprint should ask Creative how far $100 million gets you in an advertising fight with Apple.

[www.engadget.com]

Did they really spend some of that 100 mill on the actual commercial?

Too much money, way too late. In a month it won't matter. Sprint can't make excuses or sugar coat their crappy service any more.

@paja: totally, it's a misguided set of priorities

@madmangoliath: May occasionally not be able to make a call with my iPhone, but it sure beats the hell out of being violently raped in the ass by Sprint every time I get a bill.

the ads are kinda gay ... and the music just plain sucks

@rexplex:

What I get from this is Apple makes better hardware AND software than Samsung (despite it being a year older), and Sprint's EVDO network is faster than ATT's Edge network. Of course it will be faster. Only uninformed people will be persuaded by this.

Sprint might as well put together a commercial comparing the Instinct to a Startac, or why not take it a step further and compare it to an old fashioned crank telephone.

Wow what is it with american companies always overpaying for stuff? They seriously need to get 90 million back cause they got robbed.

I dont think they know they arent competing against a device but against a culture. *sigh*

Wow, that just about wins for crappiest set of commercials ever. In both commercials you can't stop looking at the iPhone, because it's so much nicer looking and the screen is so much larger. If anything, it's another iPhone commercial.

make a phone better than iphone and you wouldnt need to spend any on advertising. It would be all over gizmodo !

SPRINT just wasted $100 Million is a better title.

Even with the Instinct's updated GPS/3G features, I would still prefer the 1st gen iPhone.

Larger screen, nicer interface...

Who's paying for these ads, again?

@justinpe: Works for political campaigns. Sorta.

hooooowee? a whole one hund'rd dollerrs!? Ma, get the fun box! its time for a hootenanny!

I love that when the open the maps function, they have to pause to let the Instinct catch up.

They're not really even comparing the phones, but rather the speeds of the networks. The commercial should not be called "Instinct vs. iPhone" but rather Sprint EVDO vs ATT EDGE."

@JadoJodo:

Yeah, but people in the market for either of these phones are a little smarter than your typical American voter :)

Is it that no on this board understands Marketing, or that we are all just Sprint haters so much that we ignore this is a great commercial. Forget the fact that iPhone is coming with 3G...no one outside of these boards understands what the heck 3G is anyway. They see a faster phone and that is all that matters.

Triangulation to GPS...to any regular person that statement is garbage.

And for the price that ANYONE can get with Sprint SERO, there is no service out there that can beat it. I have 1250 anytime minutes, free night and weekend at 7, 50 bonus minutes, free Sprint to Sprint, Free text, Free unlimited internet, all for $49.99 not including the $10 I get off every month for working for a company that gets a deal (almost all companies do). Can AT&T do that? No. Is the iPhone a good looking phone? Yes. Will I give up a decent service at an amazing price for it? Hell no.

Good job Sprint!

"Oh, and to put $100 million into some perspective, that's more money than it would cost to run a 2009 Super Bowl commercial every day for a month."

And who are the editors allowing this to go in. That $3M per 30 second ad is how much it costs to run the ad, not produce it and pay for everything in it. $100M is actually not that bad a number for marketing a new competitor like this.

I'm not in product marketing but doesn't always weaken your product when you compare directly (side-by-side) with another product? Tout your benefits and let the consumer do the math. Indirect comparisons are fine.

From what I'm hearing, if their service was as good as their wit, they might have had a real chance.

Too bad I suppose. :\ .

@madmangoliath: Same here. I have no problems with Sprint. I had to call customer service once two years ago and the problem was fixed. My service is cheap. I ALWAYS have a signal. My EVDO tethering is fast. When my phone breaks they replace it either that day in the store or they send a personal carrier within 48 hours to drop off a replacement. I have a $200 dollar personal credit waiting if I want to change phones but I already have their priciest phone.

*Shrugs*

Yet everybody piles onto Sprint. Interesting.

What they need to learn is that people who use Moguls and Blackberrys have a different need than an iPhone user. But everyone insists on trying to steal the iPhone market. Oh well. F*cking dummies, they need to emphasize what the iPhone doesn't do, because most of what it does do, it does VERY well. They'll learn... or not.

Spend the 100 million on the new buyers from ATT for one-year free network service will probably work.

This made me laugh so hard! I loved it. :D

@joshman: Apple vs. PC.

If you know that your product is a winner, bring the comparing game on, it works.

@timtempest: YES. Exactly.

And some people actually wonder why Sprint is circling the drain like Mr. Hankey on a waterslide vacation at Dorney Park.

^^^I agree. Spend the money developing better products, hiring better customer service people and paying them well.

++AND kicking Themselves in the nuts (no cup), and by 'themselves' I mean every Eisnerian overpaid manager in Sprint history, especially the CEOs...

-> While they all sip a finely wrought Mad King Ludwig-style hemlock martini and do a round Gregorian Chant of "Komm, Süsser Tod."

@joshman:

I think we are saying the same thing here. Anyone who buys the Instinct based on this commercial alone is an ill-informed idiot.

The commercial says nothing about coverage, plans or pricing. If that is Sprint's strong point, why wouldn't they emphasize that?

They are obviously going after those interested in the iPhone, who, btw, are well aware that a newer, faster version is right around the corner.

Stupid commercial for stupid people.

Yeah. I cant help but look at the screen size and feel like I want the iPhone -- even when I don't. Thats unfortunate. For Sprint. And Samsung. Why would they do that?

getting hit in the nuts hurts even with a cup on. just because it's semi-safe from the surface impact doesn't mean everything inside doesn't get totally squished.

If anything, this sure says a lot about the iPhone in general if Sprint is going to focus in on this one phone among many on the same network that they like to pick on in their ads.

Of course, this is a great commercial because it's Sprint. If it were Apple's, it would be horrible tripe for the fanboys to lap up.

Maybe instead of spending 100 million on the ads, perhaps heavily discount the phone & plan.

a Free phone and 40$ a month would sign up a ton of people.

@justinpe:

You could say the same about anyone who bought a Mac on the basis of the Mac vs PC solely on viewing the adverts.

The advert's not bad.

The Instinct does have a measly ass screen.

wow... retarded. I think Apple should branch off the Mac vs. PC ads to iPhone vs. "others" ads and have a guest spot for each competitor. The instinct version should just be 10 million iPhones laughing at the lone Instinct who appears to be broke. hahahaha