Samsung has fired shots at Apple with a cheeky front-page ad in The Times of India. The ad, which appeared ahead of Flipkart Big Billion Days sale, shows what looks like an iPhone cleverly morphed into a lunchbox. The caption reads: “Without AI, your phone is just another dabba. The word dabba is a colloquial Hindi term for a plain metal lunchbox, instantly familiar to Indian audiences. By comparing the iPhone to a simple box, Samsung is suggesting that without advanced AI features, Apple latest iPhones don’t offer much innovation.
Samsung has been positioning itself as a leader in AI-powered smartphones, highlighting features like AI-driven camera enhancements, live translation, and smarter productivity tools. Apple, on the other hand, announced new AI capabilities under “Apple Intelligence” at its recent event, but most of those features won’t be available in India right away.
This timing makes Samsung move even sharper. By running the ad in India’s largest English daily, it not only mocks Apple but also appeals to millions of buyers preparing for the festive shopping season. The Flipkart tie-in strengthens the commercial push, ensuring Samsung devices get prominent visibility during the Big Billion Days sale starting September 23.
Advertising battles between Samsung and Apple aren’t new. Over the years, Samsung has often mocked Apple for decisions like removing the headphone jack or not offering fast charging. This latest jab continues the tradition, but the cultural touch using “dabba” gives it a uniquely Indian flavor.
For consumers, this aggressive marketing highlights a broader trend in the smartphone world. AI is no longer a bonus feature; it being positioned as the core differentiator between premium devices. Whether Samsung punch lands or backfires will depend on how buyers perceive Apple delayed AI rollout compared to Samsung existing features.
