UK regulator tells Apple to trash iPhone advert

Apple was told yesterday not to repeat a television advert for its popular iPhone in Britain after the national advertising regulator ruled it exaggerated the device's internet capability.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said it had upheld a complaint from two viewers over the advert, which stated that "you'll never know which part of the internet you'll need" and "all parts of the internet are on the iPhone".

The viewers had objected because the iPhone model shown did not support Flash or Java, both integral to the running of many websites.

The advert in question is only for British audience and will not be in any form broadcast in the region, said a representative of Apple's appointed advertising agency. In fact, Arab Business Machines, the regional representative of the Apple brand, has embarked on the task of seeking new media partners for brand communication. The pitch brief was sent to five of the leading agencies, including the existing Team Y&R. The brief, fitting Apple's approach to setting new trends, was sent on an Apple iPod.

In the United Kingdom, defending the ad, Apple told the ASA that although the two web technologies were not enabled, the iPhone shown could indeed access all sites across the internet.

Many other devices, such as earlier generation WAP phones, could only see simplified versions of websites, or were restricted by their service providers to a limited range of sites, it said. By contrast the iPhone had "full" internet access through its UK service provider O2, Apple said.

But the British regulator was not convinced.

"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," the ASA said in a written adjudication. "We concluded that the ad gave a misleading impression of the internet capabilities of the iPhone."

The ASA said the advert had breached three of its rules covering misleading advertising, evidence and implications. "The ad must not be broadcast again in its current form," it added.

The iPhone has proved a hit around the world with queues forming outside stores ahead of the sale of new models.

The first version of the sleek device was snapped up by 270,000 people within days of its June 2007 United States launch. The latest version was launched in exclusive tie-ups with various service providers globally.

The new 3G iPhone is sold at a price of $200 (Dh735) in the US and international market. In the UAE the iPhone is not available as Apple has not finalised its distribution and technical collaboration with any of the service providers.

In the Gulf, iPhone will makes its debut in Oman and it has just been launched in India at three times its international price.