AppleInsider Staff
Since it was announced last week that the ASA was taking complaints from consumers who felt mislead by Apple's iPad campaign, the agency has reportedly received 24 filings that may be used to initiate an investigation into the matter, according to the Financial Times.
The complaints stem from the new iPad's original marketing that touted the device as being 4G-capable despite its inability to interface with existing LTE networks in countries outside North America.
Mobile providers in the U.K. have stopped using advertising materials from Apple that refer in any way to the 4G capabilities of the iPad. Operators have asked the Cupertino, Calif., company to change its ad products, and began receiving new signage and handouts last week that replaced the 4G claims with references to "ultra-fast wireless" and access to "fast data networks." All retailers are expected to get their respective ad materials in the coming week.
Just as it did with its Australian website following pressure from that country's government, Apple has changed the U.K. version to more accurately describe the wireless functions of the new iPad.
Apple's U.K. iPad website. | Source: Apple
Apple's Wi-Fi + 4G iPad operates on the 700MHz and 2.1GHz bandwidths, which are already being used by some European states for digital TV services and existing 3G wireless networks. European regulators have reserved the 800MHz and 2.6GHz channels for 4G use, and the U.K. is scheduled to start auctioning off the wireless spectrum at the end of 2012.
Christine McKee
Andrew Orr
Charles Martin
Marko Zivkovic
Wesley Hilliard
111 Comments
Honestly, I continue to fail to see the problem here. Apple has never said it would work with 4G anywhere but the US and Canada. The only complaint that can be raised is the prominence (or lack thereof) of said disclaimer, not any misleading information.
If Australia had "4G" in its image, then yeah, that's a problem. But if the image from this thread is the image that has always been there, I don't see the issue.
Idiotic and pedantic.
§ Unlike Australia or the USA, the UK does not have any 4G networks yet. Who are these barely-literate complainants?
§ The new iPad has 4G-capable transmission and reception circuitry - where's the false advertising?
§ Unlike Australia or the USA, the UK does not have any 4G networks yet. Who are these barely-literate complainants?
They have LTE already. At least, I thought so…
They claim that Apple claims that the iPad works on their local LTE networks, when in fact it doesn't support the band necessary to do so.
They have LTE already. At least, I thought so?
They claim that Apple claims that the iPad works on their local LTE networks, when in fact it doesn't support the band necessary to do so.
They claim, but Apple did state which LTE networks do work. They assumed that folks would do the mental math to understand that if their country wasn't on that list, it won't work. Apple can't be blamed if customers don't read what they are given in terms of info. Same for carriers and their employees.
It CAN go up to 4G speeds depending on the local service, same as batteries CAN go up to 10 hours depending on what you are doing. It doesn't equal that you will always get 4G or 10 hours.
I think what AppleInsider missed is that since the Aussie case, Apple has changed all EU websites to reflect Europe's 4G-less situation.
I don't agree that Apple should be sued millions for this, however I believe that Apple shouldn't have originally advertised the LTE adverts in countries where they either lack LTE (like the UK) or don't support the LTE bands of that country (Australia).