A television ad for Apple’s iPhone G3 has been banned by the British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) following complaints by users that the ads set unrealistic expectations among purchasers with regard to the speed of the device itself and the wireless service to which it connects.

iPhone 3G: Not exactly as shown?

The ad in question states: “So what’s so great about 3G? It’s what helps you get the news, really fast. Find your way, really fast. And download pretty much anything, really fast. The new iPhone 3G. The Internet, you guessed it, really fast.”

The ad also showed simulated iPhone screens in which functions were performed almost instantantly at the touch of a user’s finger.

The ASA said that a standard, small print disclaimer stating, “Network performance will vary by location,” was not sufficient to inform potential purchasers that the images in the commercial were for demonstration purposes only.

“Although we acknowledged that the majority of viewers would be familiar with mobile telephones, we considered that many might not be fully aware of the technical differences between the different types of technology. We also noted the ad did not give an explicit indication of a comparison with the older 2G iPhone,” the ASA ruled.