New iPad has no LTE connectivity Down Under
G’day, Apple! Bet you didn’t expect to be hit with a legal challenge from Down Under this mornin’. did ya?
Well, that’s just what’s happened. Here’s the complaint filed by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission:
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will be making an application to the Federal Court in Melbourne tomorrow at 9:30am for orders against Apple Pty Limited and Apple Inc (Apple) for alleged contraventions of the Australian Consumer Law (ACL).
The ACCC alleges that Apple’s recent promotion of the new “iPad with WiFi + 4G” is misleading because it represents to Australian consumers that the product “iPad with WiFi + 4G” can, with a SIM card, connect to a 4G mobile data network in Australia, when this is not the case.
The ACCC alleges that Apple’s conduct contravenes sections 18, 29(1)(a), 29(1)(g) and 33 of the ACL.
The ACCC is seeking urgent interlocutory relief to ensure consumers are made aware of the correct technical capabilities of this device.
Additionally the ACCC is seeking final orders including injunctions, pecuniary penalties, corrective advertising and refunds to consumers affected.
Consumers who have purchased or are considering purchasing an “iPad with WiFi + 4G” should ensure that they have a proper understanding of the mobile data networks which this iPad can directly access by a SIM card.
The trouble here is that the new iPad does not actually run on the spectrum bands used for LTE in Australia. So if you buy your shiny new tablet and expect it to give you 10Mbps average download speeds you’re going to come away very disappointed.
Of course, the debate over what constitutes “4G” has long been a hobbyhorse of mine since American carriers can seemingly brand any wireless technology as “4G” even if it runs at a tenth of the speed of LTE networks. You can read my detailed breakdown of the assorted “4G” technologies here. If you don’t want to read it, here’s a quick summary: LTE is the fastest by far, followed by WiMAX and HSPA+. Basically, if you want a “4G” wireless service that gives you the fastest speeds around you’ll want to make sure you’re getting LTE. Otherwise you’ll be settling for something that’s less than advertised.
UPDATE: Speaking of Australia and the iPad, this reminds me of one of my all-time favorite “it’s-a-slow-news-day” stories from last summer about a bright-eyed Australian entreprenuer who gave us the world’s first iPad case made from kangaroo leather. I was partciularly proud of the lede I wrote, which contained not one, but TWO puns: “The next time you hop down to your nearest electronics store to buy a new pouch for your iPad, be aware it could be made from kangaroo.” That’s why I get paid the big bucks, friends.
