The Advertising Standards Authority has told Apple to alter an advert for its iPhone 3G which claimed that the new version of the iPod-mobile combo could go to "all parts of the internet". The ASA were responding to two complaints that, because the mobile device has only limited Flash and Java facilities, that claim was untrue, because some Flash and Java driven web services would not work on the phone.
A statement from the ASA said: "We concluded that the ad gave a misleading impression of the internet capabilities of the iPhone. The ad must not be broadcast again in its current form".
Apple argued that their advert was designed to communicate that the iPhone is not restricted to just WAP or mobile specific web services, and could surf the net like a PC. They also countered that the phone could reach "all parts of the internet", it's just certain services may not work when you get there. The ASA noted their arguments, but still ruled against the computer firm.