New iPad 3: Apple to offer refund to ALL buyers in Australia

  • Adverts are ‘misleading’ says consumer watchdog
  • Promise of ‘4G’ despite there being no network to connect to
  • Apple lawyer says it will email all buyers to offer a refund
  • Tablet also labelled as ‘4G’ in UK – despite there being no network

By
Rob Waugh

02:04 EST, 28 March 2012

|

02:53 EST, 28 March 2012

Apple will email all Australian buyers of its new iPad to offer them a refund, a lawyer for the company said on Wednesday.

The move came after the nation’s consumer watchdog accused it of misleading advertising over one key aspect of the product.

The new tablet is labelled as ‘4G’ – but the connection won’t work in many countries, due to differing mobile networks.

In the UK, for instance, the tablet is labelled as ‘Wi-Fi + 4G’, despite the fact there is no compatible network to connect to.

Passers-by look at Apple's new iPad in a window display at an Apple store in Sydney. The company has now said it will issue a refund to all buyers

Passers-by look at Apple’s new iPad in a window display at an Apple store in Sydney. The company has now said it will issue a refund to all buyers

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has taken legal action to ensure Apple makes consumers aware its third-generation iPad cannot connect to a 4G mobile data network in Australia due to technical incompatibility.   

Apple promoted its third-generation tablet as the iPad with Wifi+4G, but Australia has only one 4G network, operated by Telstra Corp, which operates on a different frequency to the 4G on Apple’s new iPad.   

The consumer watchdog argues that Apple’s advertising was misleading and wants the court to force the company to correct its ads, refund any affected buyers and impose penalties.    

Apple barrister Paul Anastassiou told the Federal Court in Melbourne that the company would send emails to all Australian buyers to date, offering the refund.

The new iPad was launched in stores only this month.  


Enlarge

 
The new Apple iPad has a state-of-the-art HD screen - but the gadget has trouble holding on to a wi-fi connection, users claim

The new tablet is labelled as ‘4G’ – but the connection won’t work in many countries, due to differing mobile networks

While the iPad is the clear market leader, and the new version with its faster chips, fourth-generation wireless and a sharper display is only expected to cement Apple’s lead, the company has hit some bumps in the road.   

It is waging a battle with a Chinese technology company, Proview, that claims to own the iPad trademark in China, in a long-running dispute that has threatened to disrupt iPad sales in one of its fastest growing markets.    
In Australia, a small but a key launch market for Apple products, it lost a bid to ban the sales of Samsung Electronics Co Galaxy tablet late last year.    
That battle is part of bruising global patent war between the two firms that spans about 30 legal cases in 10 countries.        

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts,
or debate this issue live on our message boards.

The comments below have not been moderated.

How is this Apple’s fault? The iPad will still work! It’s not their fault the rest of the world are so behind with their mobile networks. It’s just future proofed, 4G will arrive in the UK. Google it! Just have to wait.
– Piggy1982, Norwich, 28/3/2012 9:30
4G will be in the UK, sure, It’s being trialled now but it’s a different 4G standard and frequency band as to what the useless Americans now use. That’s the problem and the iPad3 will not work on any 4G technology other than what the Americans currently have.
What will happen is that the rest of the world will be on one standard of 4G while America has to play catch-up by upgrading its beta 4G network to one that the rest of the world uses.

It amazes me that people rushed out to buy a product who’s main selling point was a feature that doesn’t work in the UK. Apple must be planting subliminal messages to their minions. I bet if they released an IDENTICAL product but called it iPad 5, people would upgrade.
– Paul, Newcastle, UK, 28/3/2012 13:00

Apple’s business model is to delibertately leave off features and add them in later in a “new version” which requires everyone to upgrade. The original iPad didn’t have a phone at all. The iPad 2 and 3 had a phone, but were limited to 3G connection despite 4G being used in Antroid tablets. Even in the US the iPad 4 doesn’t connect to all 4G networks, that will be fixed in the iPad 5, as will the battery issues which they surely knew all about in testing.

Apple thrives on selling incomplete products to people who are more interested in the public image than the product quality.

Don’t see the problem. It still has an ‘enhanced’ 3G. I agree Apple should look over their advertising, I checked worldwide and Apple don’t adapt the advertising to each individual country, it’s the same everywhere. It should have stated 4G was only available in the USA/Canada. It comes with 4G because it isn’t possible to make different units for different countries. It has become a problem making a unit that will cover all countries, as we apparently don’t always have a single international standard, so each product has to cover all bases. An important point, despite this ‘flaw’ the 3 is the same price as the old 2. Which would YOU buy, the old 2 for £400, or a 3 for £400. I think the term is ‘no-brainer’? Personally, I’m not effected as I have no use for 3-4G, or any G whatever the number. This is just the beginning of the Apple-bashing, guys, there is talk of new Pro’s, possibly iMacs, coming soon, next month maybe, all with Retina and SSD. Stone-Age PC, anyone?

Big stead, how do you do it and does it use up a lot of data if you use the iPad through the hotspot connection?

WiFi only version. iPhone 4 used as a personal hotspot, WiFI iPad always connected to internet. Simple.

I only recently bought iPad 2 which I am more than happy with but I did understand that the new iPad would be able to connect to 4g networks once they become available. Anyone with an ounce of technical knowledge would know that you can’t get a 4g connection if the operators are not providing it. And Apple is not a mobile network operator. Or am I just too clever?! LOL

please if the buyer was that smart lol they wouldnt buy a ipad3 lol
any smart IT guy would spend £400 on a better laptop lol
ipad3 was a show off tool like LV bag, not to be use a brilliant + powerful pc tool.
ie looks good, brag, show off, expensive, what apple put inside!!!!!!!!! they dont care, just make it cheap or everyone have it

It beggars belief that a company the size of Apple didn’t realise that phone networks are different from country to country and ensured that all iPads would be equipped with technology compatible with the country they were destined to be sold in. Or did they know and couldn’t be bothered? If I buy a mobile device in this country I expect it to work in this country no matter where it was made or the nationality of the parent company that made it – Apple didn’t have a problem with the iPhone so how come they slipped up so badly with the iPad?

I knew that the 4g here in Australia was not compatible with the ipad and I am not even interested in buying one. U would think if u are paying that sort of money u would do you research. Obviously people buy these things for the status only!

I don’t really understand the issue here. The new iPad contains the technology to connect to ‘a’ 4G signal. It is not apples responsibility to provide the network. Therefore I don’t see that they’ve said anything wrong. Minor issues about whether it will or won’t connect are irrelevant as it does contain 4G technology. Therefore they’re well within their rights to make the claim.
– belski, Bath, uk, 28/3/2012 12:22,,,,,,,,,,,, the problem is 4G is on different radio bands in every country , so you are paying for something your not going to get. so these ipads will only work on 4g in the USA only

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