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- guardian.co.uk, Wednesday August 27 2008 00.01 BST
- The Guardian, Wednesday August 27 2008
An advertisement for Apple's iPhone handset has been shelved after Britain's advertising watchdog ruled that it misled buyers.
The Advertising Standards Authority said that a TV promotion had falsely suggested that iPhone users would have unfettered access to the entire internet over their mobile.
"You never know which part of the internet you'll need," said the advert's voiceover. "Which is why all the parts of the internet are on the iPhone."
However two viewers claimed this was misleading, arguing that the iPhone does not support some common technologies used on web pages. Apple had argued that its decision not to support technologies such as Flash and Java only meant that individual parts of some websites - rather than entire sites themselves - were unavailable.
The company said its claims were meant to indicate the superior level of internet access the iPhone offered in comparison with rival handsets.
The ASA said it had told Apple it must not broadcast the ad again in its current form.
The iPhone's lack of support for all content has been a problem for some websites. Some online services, such as the BBC's iPlayer TV catchup service and the video website YouTube, have been forced to come up with new systems built specifically for iPhone users.
It is not the first time that Apple has faced claims of incorrect advertising. Last year the ASA considered a number of complaints about adverts for the company's Mac computers starring the comedians David Mitchell and Robert Webb. Despite accusations that its claims about better security were unfounded, the ASA ruled in Apple's favour.
The news will come as a blow to the California company's ambitions to become a serious player in the lucrative mobile phone market.
The iPhone is now a crucial part of Apple's business, and although it initially received a muted reception from British consumers, a relaunched model with faster 3G networking and built-in satellite navigation appears to have boosted the gadget's fortunes.
Staff
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