Microsoft Posts Anti-Apple Windows Phone Videos of Questionable Taste [Update: Removed]

Microsoft has posted seven new videos to its Windows Phone YouTube page, as part of a new series it calls 'A fly on the wall in Cupertino'.

The ads purport to show iPhone 5c and 5s product pitch meetings with characters that bear a striking resemblance to Steve Jobs and Jony Ive, though the Jobs-esque character is called Tim several times.


If the executive in the videos is intended to resemble Steve Jobs, then they would appear to be in very poor taste. It's not at all clear how the videos -- which don't ever explain how Windows Phone is better than iOS -- help Microsoft achieve its stated goal of getting users to switch to its platform.

- A fly on the wall in Cupertino
- A fly on the wall in Cupertino: Colours
- A fly on the wall in Cupertino: Polycarbonate
- A fly on the wall in Cupertino: Innovative materials
- A fly on the wall in Cupertino: The phone for everyone
- A fly on the wall in Cupertino: Fingerprint reader
- A fly on the wall in Cupertino: 8-megapixel camera

Update 12:42 PM PDT: Microsoft has pulled the videos from YouTube. The video embedded above is from a backup a viewer saved.

Microsoft gave this statement to The Next Web: "The video was intended to be a light-hearted poke at our friends from Cupertino. But it was off the mark, and we’ve decided to pull it down."

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...

Top Rated Comments

BC2009 Avatar
162 months ago
Oh Microsoft.... how far you have fallen.
Score: 163 Votes (Like | Disagree)
daneoni Avatar
162 months ago
Shouldn't you only mouth off when you have a superior product? WP8 is not superior to iOS. And if it wasn't for Nokia they wouldn't even be on the radar.

How low can you go MS.
Score: 95 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ValSalva Avatar
162 months ago
That character they call "T" or Tim is clearly supposed to be Steve Jobs.

These ads are just dumb. Nothing clever about them. Now it's just getting bitter, vindictive, and desperate for Microsoft. It's sad really.
Score: 80 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chrmjenkins Avatar
162 months ago
Insulting the intelligence of your competitor's customers seems like a great idea.
Score: 79 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Hastings101 Avatar
162 months ago
Seems pretty accurate to me honestly
Score: 67 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BlockEight88 Avatar
162 months ago
I gotta agree with the ad. What the hell has Apple been doing the last 6 months? But unfortunately, the iPhone 5C/S will not flop. People will once again line up in droves. I don't understand it. They're not bad phones, but their not innovative.
Score: 65 Votes (Like | Disagree)