Apple's New Shot on iPhone Ad 'Earth' Includes Narration by Carl Sagan From His Book 'Pale Blue Dot'

Apple tonight shared a new ad in its line of "Shot on iPhone" commercials, this one focused on iPhone users who have taken impressive photos and videos of vistas around the planet.

Well-known astronomer Carl Sagan narrates the spot, reading out a few quotes from his book "Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space." The theme of the commercial focuses on reminding viewers about the importance and responsibility of taking care of "our only home."

"The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves. The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is no where else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand. It underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another and to preserve and cherish the only home we've ever known."

Apple's ads have lately been focused on providing tutorials for features of the iPhone 7, as well as a few commercials specifically highlighting Portrait Mode. On Earth Day the company shared a few videos with similar pro-environmental messages as the Carl Sagan-narrated ad posted today, centering on topics like solar farms and zero waste.

Popular Stories

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...
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...
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 ...
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...

Top Rated Comments

M_Json Avatar
113 months ago
Really well made ad. Feels like Apple took a stab at the Trump administration for deciding to leave the Paris Agreement at the same time.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jjo Avatar
113 months ago
I'm the "James O." with the ice jam video in this commercial. :)

The ad agency contacted me last March inquiring about that shot of mine. They wanted to make sure I indeed shot it on an iPhone.

Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gugy Avatar
113 months ago
Awesome ad.
Very appropriate for these crazy times.
Good for Apple.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kjs862 Avatar
113 months ago
i like it a lot!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BWhaler Avatar
113 months ago
So well done..

Great job Apple.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nzgeorge Avatar
113 months ago
Sagan would not have approved.

In fact, he actually sued Apple for suggesting that he had endorsed their product:

http://www.networkworld.com/article/2160066/wireless/yes--carl-sagan-once-sued-apple-for-libel.html
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)