Half-truths and hot air: Reading between the lines on Apple‘s new ‘Why iPhone‘ page

Looks like Apple has gone for the "slam the competition" strategy once again. Just days after Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller slammed Android over fragmentation and malware, and called it an outdated OS, Cupertino has published a new webpage touting its iPhone. There’s some talk that this page is Apple’s response to the Samsung Galaxy S4, which is seen as the biggest competition for iPhone this year. After all, Apple is currently only behind Samsung when it comes to global smartphone sales. Called ‘Why iPhone’, the page describes at length the many perceived improvements that an iPhone gives users. It calls out rivals for things their phones lack and also bandies about the awards received by the iPhone over the years to say how Apple’s smartphone is the smartest of them all. AwardsApple first talks about how many awards the iPhone has won. In particular, the focus is on the JD Power and Associates Award. “In eight straight studies by J.D. Power and Associates — that’s every study since the first iPhone was introduced — iPhone has been ranked ‘Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Consumer Smartphones’.” That’s all well and good, but how about some perspective, Apple? Every year after the main events at the Mobile World Congress conclude, the GSM Association hands out the Global Mobile Award for the best handset of the year. The iPhone was beaten here by the Samsung Galaxy S2 and S3 in 2012 and 2013 respectively. So clearly, awards are no hard and fast measure of a phone’s worth and if they are, the iPhone is not the only top dog in the market.Build qualityThen Apple talks about the attention to detail on its handsets. “Every detail and every material — particularly the sleek aluminum (sic) enclosure — has been meticulously considered and refined. And it’s made with a level of precision you’d expect from a finely crafted watch, not a smartphone.” Is that a subtle hint about the upcoming iWatch?Click here for full story