The new iPad
Yesterday’s decision by Apple to refund Australian buyers of the new iPad over its 4G claims has inspired similar actions with the UK and Sweden now investigating Apple’s 4G LTE capabilities.
It emerged yesterday that Apple is to offer consumers in Australia a refund on the new iPad following the threat of legal action by Australia’s Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), which claims that by promoting the new iPad with 4G capabilities which don’t work in the area, Apple is contravening Australian consumer law.
Now Sweden’s consumer protection agency is investigating claims on the Apple site for Sweden, where it is advertising that the tablet can be used on 4G networks around the world. A note at the bottom of the page, however, says 4G LTE is supported only by AT&T and Verizon in the US and by Bell, Rogers and TELUS in Canada.
In the UK, the Advertising Standards Authority is also rowing in to study 4G claims made by Apple. Like Ireland, the UK has been tardy in getting its act together on 4G spectrum auctions and as a result no spectrum has yet been allocated for 4G.
The ASA has yet to decide if the speed claims made by Apple in its UK advertising are misleading or not.
