UK ad authority moves closer to '4G' iPad investigation

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  • Reply 21 of 111
    gregalexandergregalexander Posts: 1,400member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hill60 View Post


    So all cars should be advertised with a maximum speed of 55mph.



    I see what your saying, but the complaint is more that all the cars are already advertised as "55mph", and some new cars can do and say 110mph, which is very appealing to many customers.



    Then apple comes along saying "iPad 110mph (but only 55 unless you're in Germany). "



    Then there are complaints of misadvertising,
  • Reply 22 of 111
    All references to "4G" or "LTE" disappeared from all european sites... Now they list technologies up to HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA.



    I think this is a smart move, and I don't see why they didn't do that before.

    Even if we had commercial LTE networks ready, they wouldn't work with the new iPad... So why advertising that feature?
  • Reply 23 of 111
    cgjcgj Posts: 276member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post


    They didn't. They listed 4G, which is completely acceptable within the ITU-R definition. They never advertised 4G LTE outside the US and Canada.



    Also note that 4G is such a generic term that LTE is appended to it when actually referring to LTE.



    Makes no difference whether they advertised it as LTE or 4G, my point still stands.
  • Reply 24 of 111
    woodbinewoodbine Posts: 87member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ippyboi View Post


    It's just the world going mad. Anyone who lives in the UK knows we don't have 4g, and those who don't should ask for help and advice its not like we don't have enough mobile shops on the high street.



    That said, its about time Apple got their act together. They know by now what they can get away with and they also deal with all the networks so they could have put a disclaimer on their website. It took hours after they laucnhed the products for the UK apple store to come back online.. a simple comment could save so much un-needed boring press.



    T



    on Apple UK, it's only when you go to buy does "4G" seem to appear, albeit with a note about coverage.



    I do think outside the US, the iPad should be called 3G/4G along with a disclaimer.



    It's fair to say that most folk know 4G is not available in UK, but I don't think that's how the ASA works. They will want to see very clear advertising.



    Personally, I really don't like any company that has to resort to fine print to sell something.
  • Reply 25 of 111
    lerxtlerxt Posts: 186member
    I don't exactly see what your collective problem with this is. It is entirely reasonable that companies advertise in a way that is not misleading. The advertising in Australia was misleading as it used 4G. The public cannot be expect to know what the latest acronym thrown at them means it is. They just want an iPad.

    In the uk if Apple mislead consumers then it will be penalized. Simple.
  • Reply 26 of 111
    mp1963mp1963 Posts: 17member
    I would have thought the UK advertising standards people would be better of looking at the more than dubious advertising practices of some of our oversized overbearing monopolistic supermarket chains .. start with Tesco and work your way around the rest .. and after that have a go at all the other rip off merchants that seem to inhabit the UK!!
  • Reply 27 of 111
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by CGJ View Post


    I think what AppleInsider missed is that since the Aussie case, Apple has changed all EU websites to reflect Europe's 4G-less situation.



    So what? That doesn't mean that Apple was wrong - just that they overestimated the intelligence of potential customers. After receiving all these complaints, they realized that people in the UK and Australia are stupider than they thought, so they revised their ads.



    It's not something I'd be proud of if I lived in the UK or Australia.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by CGJ View Post


    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).



    They don't. They advertise speed 'up to LTE'. They also advertise 4G capability - which the device has, whether your country supports it or not.



    Australia's case is slightly complicated by the fact that Australia legislates their own definition of 4G rather than most of the world which has a standard definition. In most of the world, HSPA+ is 4G, but not Australia. Still, Apple's advertising isn't false.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by paxman View Post


    But Apple knew that the iPads 4g capability was only applicable in North America yet 4g was a prominently mentioned feature outside of that region. Why even mention it it doesn't apply?



    Because it's a feature of the product - even if you can't use it. Furthermore, the international definition of '4G' includes HSPA+ so the iPad meets the legal definition of 4G in most countries (with the exceptions being the few countries like Australia which legislate the definition).



    The Corvette Centennial Edition is advertised as having a top speed of 197 mph. There are few countries where you can legally travel that speed and even fewer where it is safe to do so. Does that make the advertising false? Of course not. The Corvette is capable of traveling at that speed even if your local laws prohibit it. They rely on you to know the local laws. Do you think you could sue GM if you drove 197 mph on a road and got arrested? Obviously not.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by EgoAleSum View Post


    All references to "4G" or "LTE" disappeared from all european sites... Now they list technologies up to HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA.



    I think this is a smart move, and I don't see why they didn't do that before.

    Even if we had commercial LTE networks ready, they wouldn't work with the new iPad... So why advertising that feature?



    Lots of people advertise features that some of the customers can't or won't use. If you were forced to advertise only features which were of value to every customer, you really wouldn't be able to advertise much of anything.
  • Reply 28 of 111
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post


    The Corvette Centennial Edition is advertised as having a top speed of 197 mph.



    In which countries won't a Corvette Centennial Edition hit a top speed of 197mph?



    If there is one where they aren't made capable of doing so but still advertised as tho it can, even you might consider that false advertising if targeting that countries buyers, correct?
  • Reply 29 of 111
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    In which countries won't a Corvette Centennial Edition hit a top speed of 197mph?



    The same number as the number of countries where the iPad doesn't have the ability to receive 4G signals - zero.



    So I guess your point is that you are unable to understand the simple analogy?
  • Reply 30 of 111
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post


    Lots of people advertise features that some of the customers can't or won't use.



    Yes, but how many advertise features that none if the customers can possible use?
  • Reply 31 of 111
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by I am a Zither Zather Zuzz View Post


    Yes, but how many advertise features that none if the customers can possible use?



    None. Because Apple's not doing that.
  • Reply 32 of 111
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by I am a Zither Zather Zuzz View Post


    Yes, but how many advertise features that none if the customers can possible use?



    I don't know. But I'd be willing to bet that far, far more people can use 4G on the iPad than the number who can operate a Corvette at 197 mph.
  • Reply 33 of 111
    iaeeniaeen Posts: 588member
    Why should all these Europeans/Australians have all the fun? I live in rural America and don't have an LTE network to connect to, so I should get to sue Apple too... 'cause that totally makes sense, right?



    </sarcasm>
  • Reply 34 of 111
    iaeeniaeen Posts: 588member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by CGJ View Post


    Makes no difference whether they advertised it as LTE or 4G, my point still stands.



    The point is that LTE is just one of several 4G technologies. If the iPad has one of these other 4G technologies, it has 4G regardless of whether LTE works on it or not.



    So yeah, it does matter if it was advertised as 4G or LTE.
  • Reply 35 of 111
    Along the same lines .... Apple advertises that their devices are 802.11/a/b/g/n compatible too? Will they get asked to change their advertising because you cant get 802.11/a/b/g/n _everywhere_ in the UK?



    Someone point out to me why this would be different?
  • Reply 36 of 111
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post


    The same number as the number of countries where the iPad doesn't have the ability to receive 4G signals - zero.



    So I guess your point is that you are unable to understand the simple analogy?



    Analogy fail. You know better. There's a whole lotta countries where Apple doesn't offer "197mph" because chips that would offer the proper frequencies are omitted. Corvette's top speeds are offered in every country where's it's sold because the engine supporting it isn't omitted.



    unable to understand a simple anology. . .
  • Reply 37 of 111
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    Analogy fail. You know better. There's a whole lotta countries where Apple doesn't offer "197mph" because chips that would offer the proper frequencies are omitted. Corvette's top speeds are offered in every country where's it's sold because the engine supporting it isn't omitted.



    unable to understand a simple anology. . .



    Sorry, but you're the one that's wrong. Which country doesn't offer HSPA+ or LTE or have plans to do so at some time?
  • Reply 38 of 111
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by steverance View Post


    Along the same lines .... Apple advertises that their devices are 802.11/a/b/g/n compatible too? Will they get asked to change their advertising because you cant get 802.11/a/b/g/n _everywhere_ in the UK?



    Someone point out to me why this would be different?



    Apple's iPad doesn't connect to those network protocols when they're offered?
  • Reply 39 of 111
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post


    Sorry, but you're the one that's wrong. Which country doesn't offer HSPA+ or LTE or have plans to do so at some time?



    Sweden already has 4G LTE. Apple's iPad omitted the chip necessary to work on it.
  • Reply 40 of 111
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    Sweden already has 4G LTE. Apple's iPad omitted the chip necessary to work on it.



    Antenna, I think. It's more a question of frequencies, isn't it?
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