Quick to capitalise on what they clearly saw as a 'lukewarm' unveiling of the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s, rivals HTC and Nokia have deployed their vast PR resources to variously disparage Apple.
HTC took to its blog, in a post titled "Here's to Confirmation," and pointed to the lack of innovation on Apple's part of simply (and once again) upgrading components, while still retaining the same design fundamentals. The Taiwanese manufacturer asked forward-looking consumers to forget about the iPhone 5s, and choose its own products, which offer a "real change" with a "genuinely new experience." It even initiated the HTC Trade Up program, where users can exchange their iPhone devices for minimum $150 rebate on a new HTC One (pictured above).
Here's a quote from HTC's blog: Compare the HTC One that to what you saw today. An iPhone 5 that looks the same as the one before it, and the one before that. But it's made out of metal! It features a camera with bigger pixels! And there's a second line of phones made with colored plastic unibodies! Sound familiar?
Nokia US didn't even wait until after the event, and took to Twitter to share its 'opinion', while Apple was still making its announcement. Nokia called the Apple iPhone 5c, which will come in a wide variety of colours, an obvious attempt to copy the multi-hued Lumia design philosophy.
Thanks, #Apple ;) pic.twitter.com/eBaanS6qCr
-- Nokia USA (@NokiaUS) September 10, 2013
The Finnish mobile manufacturer also mocked Apple's new and improved 8-megapixel iSight camera, and directed the Cupertino company to "real innovation":
8 megapixels? Aw, that's cute. Apple, this is what real innovation looks like :) http://t.co/SzUwigHhGJ
-- Nokia USA (@NokiaUS) September 10, 2013
Nokia UK then went on to poke fun at Apple's Gold iPhone 5s offering, with what seems to be a cult Breaking Bad reference:
"Real gangsters don't use gold phones." pic.twitter.com/yurtFf3TML
-- Nokia UK (@nokia_uk) September 10, 2013
What do you think of Apple's new mobile offerings? Is the iPhone 5s a worthy upgrade? Does the iPhone 5c make you reach for your wallet? Let us know in the comments section below.
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