BEIJING: Leshi TV (LeTV), Chinese tech firm has posted a print ad promoting its new smartphone that compares the popular tech developer to Adolf Hitler.
The image was first discovered on LeTV founder Jia Yueting’s Weibo page. The text on the top of the poster compares the attributes of both Android and iOS, stating “Crowdsourced, freedom vs arrogance, tyranny”. Below the text is a cartoon version of Hitler wearing a red armband with Apple’s logo on it.
“Under the arrogant regime of iOS domination that developers around the world love yet hate, we are always carefully asking, ‘is this kind of innovation okay?'” Yueting wrote. He then went on to argue that Apple’s lack of “freedom” will make it look like a “dusk” (dying) empire, and that Android is the way of the future.
While the Hitler comparison is certainly extreme, this isn’t the first time that an Android developer has attacked Apple over the nature of its OS. The Verge pointed out how Google implied in its most recent Android advertising campaign, which included animal odd couples and the tagline “Be together. Not the same,” that iOS is not a fan of individuality.
“However, there is obviously a world of difference between this type of subtle teasing and the deployment of Nazi imagery to malign your rivals,” The Verge wrote.
It’s also likely that LeTV is attacking Apple because the iPhone 6 was the best-selling phone of 2014, and because Chinese customers are very dedicated to the iOS device, according to Patently Apple.
Sources inside the Chinese tech firm say that LeTV’s new phone will feature 4GB of RAM, a 5.5-inch display, and a reversible USB Type-C port.
