Ever since the launch of Apple’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, Apple fans from all across the globe have been trying to figure out when are the iconic phones were going to reach their stores. Singapore, for example, was one of the earliest countries to welcome the new Apple smartphones and local telcos such as SingTel, StarHub, and M1 did not waste any time in offering customers the opportunity to pre-register for the phones.
Over in Malaysia, the situation got a little fuzzy due to a certain advertisement by local telco Maxis. Maxis released a teaser with the hashtag #nextbigthing on the 9th of September.
This prompted many people to start guessing what Maxis was hinting at. As most Android users would know, “next big thing” is a phrase widely used by Samsung as part of their marketing strategy, seeing as most of their flagship smartphones are larger in size.
However, things were not as clear-cut as it seemed because after scrutinizing the teaser, some noticed that in left side of the blurry background, there is an object that resembles a green apple. Was that an Apple-related hint? Also, the word ‘stretching’ seemed a little sketchy, was Maxis referring to the Apple iPhone 6 which has been ‘stretched’ to a larger size – iPhone 6 Plus?
And to top all of that, Apple’s new smartphones was about to be launched on the same day that Maxis released this teaser (back on September 9); whereas the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 was only to be released in October, which caused most to assume that it was more likely for the iPhone 6 Plus to reach Malaysia first.
Another teaser was released later in September and another apple was spotted.
This was followed by another teaser which got more people talking, does the two slices of bread refer to the two Apple smartphones?
An online poll by Mobile88 shows that out of nearly 100 votes, about 75% of voters think that Maxis’ #nextbigthing is the Apple iPhone.
Misleading Hashtag
The only problem with the speculations above is the hashtag. Apple’s catchphrase has almost been “one more thing”, while “next big thing” has been previously used by Samsung in their advertisements, although it is mostly just used to mock Apple.
Even Samsung’s S5 video commercial was called “The Next Big Thing”.
However, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 launched today in Malaysia and Maxis is already accepting pre-registrations from Maxis users. So this would be confirmation for speculators that the #nextbigthing isn’t referring to the Note 4.
The Wait Goes On
Despite the hordes of Apple fans who are eagerly awaiting their chance to get their hands on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, and although Maxis’ teaser makes it seem as if the coveted smartphones are just around the corner; Malaysians will just have to continue to be patient.
This is because Apple has just announced the 36 countries that will be launching the new Apple smartphones this month and unfortunately, Malaysia is not in this list. Some of the countries mentioned are China, India, and Monaco who are launching the Apple phones this Friday, and other Asian countries like Thailand and South Korea will receive the Apple phones on the 31st of October.
Well Played, Maxis
Maxis have kept all their customers all hyped up guessing what the next big thing is and wondering if the apples were just to throw them off, but it seems all clear now that the hashtag was the real culprit. The Note 4 is available for sale starting from the 17th of October in various stores such as Senheng. It is possible that Maxis will bundle the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 with its currently widely advertised MaxisOne Plan.
As for Apple fans, well I guess as the saying goes, “The best things come to those who wait.”
