SNL Spoofs Verizon 4G LTE
The writers at Saturday Night Live must be Apple fans, because they took aim at Verizon and their vaunted 4G LTE network this weekend. Mocking Verizon’s myriad of products and buzzwords, SNL called the wireless carrier “an old person’s nightmare.”
4G (which stands for “fourth generation” wireless) is the next step for most users, promising faster downloads speeds and, therefore, increased bandwidth usage.
Apple has resisted making the iPhone compatible with emerging 4G LTE networks, arguing that they do not yet offer consistently superior service, and that the required hardware would make the phone too bulky.
Charlie White at Mashable says SNL makes a good point about the overwhelming choices when looking for a smart phone:
We run into the same problem when reviewing smartphones, especially when we’re trying to describe how fast a certain smartphone or tablet is when using 4G LTE. It’s fertile ground for deliberate confusion on the part of Verizon and other cellphone carriers, because wireless connectivity can vary from block to block, and even from room to room in your house.
No word yet on whether SNL will make fun of the Verizon network for not dropping phone calls.
This spoof has nothing to do with Apple. The largest issue here is that there is no clear definition of 4G or LTE. Yes, I understand long term evolution and all of the technological aspects of an LTE network. On the other hand, where the sketch misses is on the point of old people. I’m not old, please don’t misunderstand my angle, but no one understands these terms if they are not technologically savvy. Kids/teenagers/80s born males think its cool, lightning bolts and robots! Who wouldn’t want these products?