UPDATE Apple have just released three new adverts on their website related to the iPhone 3G. The adverts entitled Everyone, Unslow and Work Friendly highlight the speed and some new features of the iPhone 3G. However there are obvious differences in the adverts for the American market and the equivalent ads that have been posted on Apple Australia (that one might assume will also be broadcast here). It is interesting to note that the voiceover in the Australian ads (of which 2 out of 3 ads seem to have been repurposed) fails to use the expression "twice as fast", whilst "half the price" has also been removed. Whilst the removal of the cost comment is logical, the rephrasing of the speed comment is slightly intriguing.

What follows is a table pointing you to the adverts online, as well as the text of the voice-overs for the respective adverts. As you can see, there is a marked difference between the US-based adverts and the Australian adverts.

Whilst the use of "half the price" would not make sense in Australia, where the first iPhone was not officially for sale, the changing of "twice as fast" to "really fast" is interesting. It could be argued that the change is because (again) it is a phrase comparing the original iPhone to the new iPhone 3G...but what is twice as fast? Answer - the network it is on, you would assume. So therefore, why not keep the phrase to promote the 3G network that the iPhone 3G is designed for?

"Twice as fast" almost certainly doesn't relate to the functional speed of the phone other than the use on the 3G network, so "twice as fast" could effectively remain in the advert as a comparison between the iPhone 3G and other non-3G phones on Australian networks. Instead, the decision has obviously been made to remove it...suggesting a decision to either not promote the superiority of 3G speeds, or a decision based around appropriate language to use in Australian advertising.

[Update 1]
My apologies - After posting an original article suggesting surprise on the dropping of two phrases, it dawned on me that "half the price" shouldn't be used, given the fact that no iPhone has been on the market before in Australia to allow such a comparison.

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