The rivalry between Apple and Android fans has been long standing. During the Samsung patent infringement trials we saw firsthand how fanatical Android fans could be. But by and large, each community pokes each other in the eye whenever possible and occasionally applauds the other side for a cool feature or two. But one company launching a new Android smartphone in China has gone overboard by comparing Apple to Hitler in no uncertain terms. It's really up to Google now to take a loud public stand here and say that this kind of advertising is offensive and unacceptable - period. Does Google have any class? We'll see how long it takes for them to officially respond – tick, tock.

According to the Verge, "Jia Yueting, the billionaire founder and CEO of Chinese internet video site Leshi TV (LeTV), has compared Apple to the Nazis in a poster teasing the launch of LeTV's new smartphone. The image was posted to Jia's verified Weibo page and shows a cartoon Adolf Hitler wearing a red armband with the Apple logo in place of the Nazi swastika."

The outline of the phone in the background with open doors matches leaked images of LeTV's upcoming LeTV X900 smartphone.

Jia's accompanying post argues that Apple's approach to the smartphone industry is stifling innovation and harming the interests of users.

Apple's iPhone 6 was the number one smartphone in the world in 2014 and the top smartphone model in China. Obviously the Chinese love Apple's iPhone 6 and iOS quality compared to the competition. Every new Apple Store opening in China is cheered on by the Chinese enthusiastically. It drives the competition mad, and this latest outburst is just the latest example of the classless underbelly of the Android Community.

UPDATE: On March 31, LeTV CEO apologized for the ad:

"I am deeply sorry for publishing the animation ad on Weibo on Friday. In hindsight, it was a misstep and it has been amended. It was insensitive and wrong to try to use such an image in a lighthearted way. My intention was to express our vision that open-ended technology ecosystems are more beneficial to consumers and encourage true innovation. Please accept my sincere apologies, and thank you for your attention and understanding."

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