The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has
ruled that iPhone adverts misled customers by claiming the device provides complete
access to the internet.
The regulator said the lack of Flash and Java prevented iPhone access to
much of the web, rendering untrue Apple’s claim that the device gave access to
all parts of the internet.
The ASA ruled that Apple’s TV advert didn’t highlight the
shortcomings to viewers and that the advert implied access to all parts of the
web. The particularly dubious claims were: 'You'll never know which part of the internet you'll need' and 'all parts of the internet are on the iPhone.'
The iPhone 3G’s lack of Flash means limited access to
graphics, videos and games on many websites such as the BBC. Meanwhile, the
lack of Java restricts the use of website shortcuts.
The ruling is another blow to the iPhone 3G,
which has already been criticised for its slow web page download rate.