When is a 4G iPad not a 4G iPad? When it’s outside North America.
Apple has been selling the device billed “4G”, even though the 4G chip inside will work only on 700MHz and 2100MHz spectra in the U.S. and Canada.
In the UK, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which regulates advertising, will on Wednesday publish an informal adjudication after receiving complaints from disgruntled customers, who said Apple’s claims wrongly suggested lightning-speed browsing.
But the authority could open a new investigation in to whether Apple is mis-leading customers.
Apple’s two main iPad product pages in the UK still refer to “4G” features but direct readers to down-page small print stating: “4G LTE is supported only on AT&T and Verizon networks in the US, and on Bell, Rogers and Telus networks in Canada. See your carrier for details.”
Australia and Sweden have seen similar advertising investigations over Apple’s use of language.
Widespread 4G roll-out in Europe is a on a go-slow. But the European Commission has now compelled countries to have firm plans in place by early 2013.
All of that may make the prospects of a worldwide 4G iPhone in June, as some observers expect, less likely than one later in the year.