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Nokia Apologizes For Misleading Lumia 920 Ad

Posted by timothy on from the white-van-requires-2-year-activation dept.

hypnosec writes "During Nokia's press event for the launch of its flagship Windows Phone 8 smartphone — the Lumia 920 — the Finnish company made available some promotional materials wherein there was a video showcasing PureView's main feature: optical image stabilization (OIS) but, it turns out these ads were faked following which Nokia has issued an official apology. In the video was 'a reflection that revealed the footage wasn't shot on a Lumia 920, but a regular camera inside a white van.' If we go to 0:27 of the video, a reflection of a white van keeping pace with the girl is seen whereby a person is holding a DSLR camera. Fast forward to 0:48 of the video and you will clearly see the shadow of a DSLR hooked to the swing. In its apology through a blog post Nokia confirms that the video 'was not shot with a Lumia 920.'"

14 of 233 comments (clear)

  1. The damage is already done by Kergan · · Score: 5, Insightful

    A better option would have been to avoid publishing misleading ads...

    1. Re:The damage is already done by Missing.Matter · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It's misleading in the same way that Apple's Siri ads or iPhone ads are: show real capabilities of a technology in an augmented or enhanced manner. As the video posted from the 920 shows, the phone is indeed capable of what they claim. Maybe not as good as the larger prototype they claim they were using in the video, but nonetheless very good. Just as Siri doesn't get right every time with instantaneous response, and iPhone isn't lightening fast like in the ads.

    2. Re:The damage is already done by Theaetetus · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It's misleading in the same way that Apple's Siri ads or iPhone ads are: show real capabilities of a technology in an augmented or enhanced manner. As the video posted from the 920 shows, the phone is indeed capable of what they claim. Maybe not as good as the larger prototype they claim they were using in the video, but nonetheless very good.

      Wat? They don't claim they were using a "larger prototype", they simply confess that it's not a 920 at all. Compare that to this:

      Just as Siri doesn't get right every time with instantaneous response, and iPhone isn't lightening fast like in the ads.

      But Siri does get it right some of the time, and with a fast enough network connection (like, say, it's connecting to a local server), it could be that fast. Those ads are Siri, albeit Siri at its absolute, unlikely-to-actually-occur-in-reality best. Here, Nokia's not even using a 920 at all. It's not just misleading as in a "shown under optimal conditions" way, but misleading in a "doesn't actually exist at all" way.

    3. Re:The damage is already done by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Microsoft doesn't make the hardware or the ad. What part of Nokia product don't YOU understand?

      Don't kid yourself, Nokia has been a de facto Microsoft subsidiary since Elop became CEO.

    4. Re:The damage is already done by Wovel · · Score: 4, Insightful

      You don't see the difference between showing a product in the best available light versus showing video from a professional camera and claiming it came from the phone?

      You really don't? Ou think that is in any way equivalent. The Siri ads are like the HTC ads where everyone in the band is using a phone. Could the phone do that? Sure. Would it take optimal conditions that are unlikely to exist on earth today? Sure. The Nokia ad was a lie. He phone could never do that because it wasn't done with the phone.

  2. Say it ain't so... by itsdapead · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Next you'll be saying that that HTC (?) ad with the fashion photographer jumping out of the plane and doing a photo shoot in free-fall wasn't entirely shot on a smartphone?

    What next? I'd been planning on buying a can of Red Bull, sprouting wings, and flying to Holland next week: should I change my travel plans?

    --
    In a survey of 100 programmers, 111111 thought that duck-typing was a good idea.
    1. Re:Say it ain't so... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      > I'd been planning on buying a can of Red Bull, sprouting wings, and flying to Holland next week

      Big difference. The claim of "sprouting wings" is so over top that anybody should know that this is just an advertising slogan.
      Only a total moron would drink Red Bull and wait for wings to pop out.

      Making it look as if something was produced with a device even though the device was not used is a fucking LIE.
      Here most people will think that the camera really is that good.

    2. Re:Say it ain't so... by itsdapead · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Making it look as if something was produced with a device even though the device was not used is a fucking LIE.

      Useful cut out and keep guide:

      If it is on a TV or Cinema screen or even a still photograph it is a lie.

      It's not necessarily about dishonesty - it's about practicality. They use simulated pictures in adverts for TV screens because taking photos/videos of TV screens always looks crap - it's nigh-on impossible to get the exposure/colour balance right even if you don't get interference patterns. They use fake food in commercials because real food looks crap on film (especially after it's been under the lights for an hour or two). Making a film/TV program is too bloody time-consuming and expensive to leave anything to chance for the sake of realism when you can fake it reliably and on cue. Interviews get edited because people going 'um' or repeating themselves looks much worse on screen than it does in real life: if they cut away to the interviewer nodding then it's probably to disguise the 'jump' where they cut out the interviewee saying something unintelligible.

      With still pictures, you don't even need Photoshop: you've put a spin on it as soon as you've composed the picture and decided when to press the shutter.

      "The camera never lies..." should be on the shortlist of most comprehensively inaccurate aphorisms of all time.

      --
      In a survey of 100 programmers, 111111 thought that duck-typing was a good idea.
  3. An advertisment that was faked?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Who would have ever guessed!?

  4. We apologize if your intelligence was insulted... by QilessQi · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ...by such an obvious fake. We promise that in the future, the misleading ads won't be *nearly* as easy to debunk.

    --
    Koans and fables for the software engineer
  5. Not any more fake than all the other ads. by csumpi · · Score: 3, Insightful

    In auto commercials, cars are 3d renders.

    Apple's siri commercials are simulated experiences.

    Cereal boxes and chocolate bars are made larger in those ads.
    Screen images are simulated.

    Can you hear me now is not actually talking on his cell phone.

    ...the list goes on.

  6. People looking for something to be angry about by Zeromous · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Why on earth did anyone expect any of this commercial was shot with an actual Lumina?

    Does anyone realize how impractical this is, or even how bad it would look on your HDTV?

    Nokia's only mistake here is not putting "Not actual footage. This is a simulation of actual results" disclaimer on the split screen parts.

    --
    ---Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A START
  7. Shouldn't count. by SternisheFan · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Apologies after you've already been caught shouldn't really count . ''I told the judge how sorry I was for robbing that bank, but he still gave me twenty years!". Here's a thought, how about not lying in the first place? Does the phone's camera really suck that badly that you had to fake your ad? Whose decision to use the dslr was this really??

  8. Re:surprise... by pak9rabid · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'm kinda surprised Nokia is being dragged through the mud for this when most times advertisers don't even get caught.

    There ya go...the moral of the story (to these douches anyways) is 'don't get caught'.