Apple misled iPhone users over internet capability

A failure for Apple, the Advertising Standards Authority said that the iPhone, the latest gadget from Apple fails to give users complete access to the internet.

The combined phone, music player and computer is flawed because there is no Flash and Java, two of the most common website programmes. As a result, the authority said Apple’s claim that the iPhone gave access to all parts of internet has just misled customers about it being a web browser.

iPhone users cannot access videos, games, and graphics on many sites including BBC, because of the absence of Flash. Without Java, the users cannot make use of website shortcuts, like copying of personal details on order forms.

Watch the ad

In its statement, the ASA said Apple failed to take into consideration the shortcomings in a TV advertising campaign. An iPhone owner was shown using the gadget to check the weather in Cape Town, a Heathrow airport map, hotels and a stock market site.

The voice-over said: "You never know which part of the internet you'll need. The 'do you need sun cream part'? The 'what's the quickest way to the airport part'? The 'what about an ocean view room part'? Or the 'can you really afford this part'? Which is why, all parts of the internet are on the iPhone".

Complaints from two viewers said the ad was misleading. Apple on its part said the advertisement highlights the iPhone’s ability to offer availability to all websites, compared to other handsets which offer only limited web browsing or sites selected by service providers. It pushed further that surfing the internet with iPhone was like surfing from your home or office computer and the appearance and websites were the same.

ASA said: "We noted Apple's argument that the ad was about site availability rather than technical detail but considered the claims 'You'll never know which part of the internet you'll need' and 'all parts of the internet are on the iPhone' implied users could access all websites and see them in their entirety.

"We considered that, because the ad had not explained the limitations, viewers were likely to expect to be able to see all the content on a website normally accessible through a PC rather than just having the ability to reach the website.

"We concluded the ad gave a misleading impression of the internet capabilities of the iPhone."

ASA’s ruling a big disappointment to Apple

The decision is a blow to the iPhone’s strong reputation. Critics have praised its slim line design, versatility and sophistication. At £159 each, the iPhone allows users the chance to switch instantly between voice calls, music and email.

But there are two major criticisms. One is that it is only available through an exclusive deal with the O2 network, meaning customers have to sign up to 18-month contracts, costing between £639 for the 8GB model and £1,350 for the 16GB model.

It has also been criticized for being slow to download web pages, although the latest generation iPhone uses faster 3G technology. The ASA ruling underlines the continuing problems that the iPhone and other mobile devices have in downloading web pages.

Cliff Saran, technical editor of Computer Weekly, warned that – despite improvements – mobile phones were still vastly inferior to desktop computers for browsing the internet.