FEATURE/COMMENTARY: 7.10.08-- With 24 hours left to go, Apple "local time" (on the Pacific Time Zone), before the iPhone 3G's release tomorrow morning at 8:00a, there's a whole lot of buzz going around--as is expected with any Apple product release--about whether the second-gen iPhone will live up to all the hype and stop the competition dead in its tracks.

If you haven't yet seen Apple's T.V. spot for the new iPhone 3G, which we believe debuted just last night, it's a direct message to a competitor, and one to consumers: "Get smart, folks!"

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Okay, so it didn't really say that. But seeing as how the commercial starts out, in an almost Agent 99 fashion, with two security guards walking down a hallway carrying a metal box, then arriving at a closed door where a passkey card lets them in... well, let's let you watch the ad yourself so you can enjoy it: the iPhone 3G "Hallway" ad from Apple.com.

Do you see any comparison there? While yes, we thought it very similar to the movie "Get Smart," a film where Apple had some product placement benefits (they only used Apple notebooks in the film, Cinema Displays at CONTROL's headquarters), the real similarity and comparison here is an ad clearly targeted toward consumers, but underneath its skin?

A jab at Sprint and their ads for the Samsung Instinct-- their exclusive "iPhone killer."

Just the way the commercial starts out, our first, instinct, was that it was yet another commercial for the Samsung phone--which we have to admit, are pretty cool ads in and of themselves--especially when the voice says, "It's finally here... the first phone to beat the iPhone." That's the last thing you'd think would start out an Apple commercial for an iPhone.

But our gut instincts got the better of us and we had a feeling of what the end result of the ad would be. When the iPhone 3G popped out, we had to laugh. To be honest though, it could just as well have been a Sprint commercial and the Instinct the one coming out of the box.

With this new ad, Apple answers back with full force. Every description made matches that of the Instinct-- twice as fast, half the price. Except for the iPhone part, the iPhone 3G part, and that's where Apple beat the competition at its own game. We think it's one of the best ads ever, to-date!

So, what about that other phone? When we took a look at the Instinct in person (note: this columnist is a long-time Sprint customer, but an Apple customer for ages, just the same!), we were amazed and awed at the same time. It was very close to the real thing. Almost.

Almost, but not quite, we should say.

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