MacRumors

Yesterday, we noted that Australian regulators are targeting Apple over its "misleading" marketing of the new iPad as a "4G" device in the country despite the fact that the device is incompatible with LTE networks being rolled out there. In response, Apple has offered refunds to customers who feel they were misled by the marketing.

Concerns over the 4G marketing are now getting the attention of regulators in several European countries as well, with The Wall Street Journal noting that the Swedish Consumer Agency is also considering launching an investigation into the matter.

Marek Andersson, a lawyer at the authority whose task is to safeguard consumer interests in Sweden, said the consumer agency has received several complaints from consumers over marketing which touts the new iPad as having 4G connectivity. [...]

“One may rightfully ask if the marketing of the new iPad is misleading,” Mr. Andersson said. While iPad is equipped with 4G connectivity, it will only work in the U.S. and Canada.

“The question is whether this information is clear enough in Apple’s marketing,” he added.

Meanwhile, Pocket-lint reports that a similar situation is playing out in the United Kingdom, where the Advertising Standards Authority is also fielding complaints from customers about the issue.

“We are aware of the news from Australia regarding the iPad 4G marketing claim,” an ASA spokeswoman told us. “Without going through due process we can't say whether the (UK) ad is likely to be problematic. If anyone has concerns about the iPad ad then they can lodge a complaint with us and we will establish whether or not there is a problem under the Code.”

The UK has strict regulation of advertising claims, and Apple's marketing has been the subject of several decisions from the ASA. In 2008, the agency banned an iPhone ad over misleading claims, while a more recent decision regarding claims of the world's thinnest smartphone came down in Apple's favor. The ASA also ruled in Apple's favor last month in a dispute over advertising for Siri on the iPhone 4S.

Rumors of an "iPad mini" have been persistent over the past couple of years, despite an early dismissal of the 7" tablet form-factor by Apple's Steve Jobs:

There are clear limits to how close elements can be on the screen before users can't touch accurately. We believe 10-inch screen is minimum necessary.

Jobs' dismissal centers around an interface issue that a 10-inch screen is believed to be the minimum necessary to provide a good user interface.

Still, rumors of a smaller iPad have persisted with the latest rumors pinpointing a 7.85" screen for such a device. Apple has reportedly received samples of 1024x768 7.85" screens with rumors of mass production of the device sometime this fall.

AppAdvice digs into this exact screen size and reveals why the 7.85" size is not as arbitrary as it might seem.

The site calculates the points per inch (PPI) of such an imaginary 7.85" 1024x768 display and finds it to be 163 PPI. This is the exact same pixel density as the original iPhone and iPod Touch before the Retina Display. Apple's human interface guidelines for iOS development for both iPad and iPhone outline that the minimum size for tappable user interface elements at 44 x 44 points (0.27 x 0.27 inches on the original iPhone screen).

This 44 x 44 point size recommendation is true for the original iPhone and the original iPad, even though the original iPad was slightly less pixel-dense. (On Retina-enabled displays, the recommendation remains at 44 x 44 points, but with each point represented by 2 pixels)

What this means is that any iPad application that was designed with these guidelines in mind would never drop below Apple's recommended 44 x 44 point (0.27 x 0.27 inches) when displayed on a 7.85" miniaturized iPad. As we noted in our paper mockup of a iPad mini, that the user interface elements seemed perfectly usable on the smaller screen, and this would explain why. iPad apps would run without modification on a 7.85" iPad without any elements dropping below what Apple considers the minimal tappable size.

None of this means that Apple will definitely be producing such a device, but does show the 7.85" size is not an arbitrary decision. Existing iPad apps would run reasonably well without modification on such a device.

Australian regulators had targeted Apple earlier today over the use of the term "4G" in advertising its new iPad.

The issue stems from Apple's use of "4G" in its marketing terms for the cellular-capable models of the new iPad, while 4G LTE compatibility is actually only offered in the United States and Canada due to differences in the frequency bands used for LTE in different countries.

ABC News reports that Apple is now offering refunds to Australians who purchased the new iPad and felt misled by the "4G" advertising.

The company says it will email purchasers offering a refund if they believe they have been misled. Clarifications will also be made at point of sale.

Beyond that, Apple has agreed to publish clarification that the new iPad's 4G is not compatible with the Telstra network, but did point out that "the device is compatible with other networks that by international standards are deemed 4G."

Among the many topics related to charging, battery, and heat issues with the new iPad, observers have noted that the device continues to charge for up to an hour after the point at which the iPad reports a charge level of 100%.

AllThingsD has now spoken with Apple's Michael Tchao about the phenomenon, with Tchao noting that it is simply an effect of the same trickle charging feature that has always been included in iOS devices.

So, here’s how things work: Apple does in fact display the iPad (and iPhone and iPod Touch) as 100 percent charged just before a device reaches a completely charged state. At that point, it will continue charging to 100 percent, then discharge a bit and charge back up to 100 percent, repeating that process until the device is unplugged.

Doing so allows devices to maintain an optimum charge, Apple VP Michael Tchao told AllThingsD today.

“That circuitry is designed so you can keep your device plugged in as long as you would like,” Tchao said. “It’s a great feature that’s always been in iOS.”

Tchao notes that users can expect 10-hour battery life on the new iPad regardless of when in that trickle charge/discharge cycle they unplug their device, and that Apple intentionally displays the battery level at 100% throughout that cycle so as to not confuse consumers who might otherwise think their device is not completing charging correctly.

Dow Jones reports on comments from Sprint Chief Financial Officer Joe Euteneuer indicating that the carrier would be free to launch an LTE-equipped iPhone should one be introduced by Apple as many expect to occur later this year. There had been speculation that Apple might keep an LTE iPhone off of Sprint given that the carrier is well behind AT&T and Verizon in its plans to roll out an LTE network as it transitions away from WiMAX as its "4G" technology.

Sprint Chief Financial Officer Joe Euteneuer declined to say if Apple has such an iPhone planned. The carrier plans to introduce the 4G LTE network in only six cities by midyear.

Nonetheless, Euteneuer said Tuesday at an investor conference that Sprint's Apple contract is similar to those of rivals AT&T Inc. (T) and Verizon Wireless, and that the carrier isn't being held to any 4G LTE coverage requirements. In comparison, the other two carriers have rolled out 4G LTE to large swaths of the country.

Euteneuer noted that a theoretical iPhone launch in October of this year, in line with last year's schedule, would arrive with Sprint having rolled out LTE to many of the major cities in the United States. Consequently, he suggested that Sprint would in reality not be that far behind AT&T and Verizon by that time.

Sharp today announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Foxconn/Hon Hai Precision, seeking to stabilize its own financial situation and fund investments to continue pushing LCD technology forward.

Foxconn is of course Apple's primary manufacturing partner for many of its products, while Sharp was reportedly responsible for the Retina display technology in the new iPad. But production difficulties at Sharp have resulted in the company delaying its entry into the supply chain for the iPad display as Samsung and LG have ramped their own production.

Looking at the business environment, Hon Hai Precision Industry, the key company of Hon Hai group, saw Sharp's LCD technology with high reputation, and decided to procure ultimately up to 50% of large-size LCD panels and LCD modules manufactured at the LCD panel plant in Sakai-city, Osaka, Japan. The LCD panel plant will be mutually managed by one company set by partner companies.

In addition, this partnership allows each company to establish a new business model, combining each company's strength, to launch cost competitive component and products fit to market demand by utilizing Sharp's potential for the development of one-of-a-kind components and products with Hon Hai group's mounting technology and cost competitiveness.

Sharp and various Foxconn-related entities will split Sharp's existing ownership share of the cutting edge LCD plant in Sakai, while Sony will retain its 7% stake in the plant. On the corporate side, Sharp is issuing over 120 million new shares that will give Foxconn-related entities a roughly 10% ownership stake in Sharp with their investment of over $800 million.

While Apple is not directly related in the partnership developments, closer ties between Foxconn and Sharp could help speed and streamline the development and adoption of new technologies that could make their way into Apple's products.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Australian regulators are taking action to address "misleading" marketing claims regarding the new iPad, with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) announcing that it will pursue injunctions, fines and other remedies in its case. The issue stems from Apple's use of "4G" in its marketing terms for the cellular-capable models of the new iPad, while 4G LTE compatibility is actually only offered in the United States and Canada due to differences in the frequency bands used for LTE in different countries.

“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 competition regulator said it was seeking injunctions, penalties, corrective advertising and refunds to consumers who were misled.

Apple has added fine print in several places on its website to clarify that LTE connectivity is not available in most countries, but the ACCC clearly feels that this step is insufficient and that the company should cease using the "4G" term in association with the iPad in countries where the device is incompatible with LTE networks.

Apple has been prominently featuring Siri, the voice recognition feature, in its iPhone 4S advertising. And, for a good reason: it's apparently very popular amongst iPhone 4S owners. 87 percent of iPhone 4S users use at least one Siri feature each month, according to a new study. However, they aren't using all that Siri, which is technically still in Beta, has to offer.

Making phone calls and sending text-messages are the most popular activities, according to the report, a sign that Siri usage is mirroring how people use their phones more generally. Roughly a third of 4S owners use Siri to place phone calls, send text messages, or look up information daily or almost daily.

Many other Siri services are getting little pickup, however. They include playing music and scheduling meetings. Thirty-two and 35% of 4S users, respectively, said they had never used Siri to perform those actions. Those categories also had some of the lowest percentage of users that did either daily or almost daily.

The survey, performed by Parks Associates, also found that 55% of iPhone 4S users were satisfied with Siri and 9% were unsatisfied. The rest were somewhere in between. It seems likely that Apple will expand the Siri feature-set going forward, adding more partners to the current Wolfram and Yelp integration. ESPN has been mentioned as a possible partner for serving up sports scores and schedules.

Earlier this month, Apple announced that the winner of its 25 billion app countdown contest was Fu Chunli, a resident of Qingdao, China who was awarded an iTunes Store gift card valued at $10,000. Her milestone download was Disney's Where's My Water? Free.

M.I.C. Gadget now offers profile of the winner, summarizing Chinese-language reports noting that she had only been an iPhone user for a month at the time of milestone and had been unaware of the contest until she was contacted by Apple.

Fu Chunli was not a big fan of Apple, and had only purchased her iPhone for about one month, still learning how to use the App Store. She didn’t know anything about the competition until she was contacted by Apple. When she received a call from staff at Apple (China), she thought it was a hoax. She was still confused when a friend told her that she received a prize from Apple, but did not believe her luck until she saw an email from Apple Inc.

The reports note that Chunli was invited to visit Apple's Chinese headquarters in Beijing last week, having been flown to the city at Apple's expense. Following a visit to corporate headquarters, she visited the company's Sanlitun retail store where an award ceremony was held to present her with the gift card and conduct interviews with the media. She also received training on her iPhone and the App Store and took the time to test drive some of the other Apple merchandise in the store.

Apple has been making a major push into China, with the company expanding its distribution reach there and working to build Chinese-focused features into several of its products in an effort to strengthen the appeal of the company's products there. Just today, Apple CEO Tim Cook was spotted at the Xidan Joy City retail store in Beijing as he visited the country to meet with undisclosed officials.

Much has been made of the increase in battery capacity in the new iPad over the past week and a half, including its impact on charging and heat issues experienced by consumers. More recent discussions have focused on the device charging beyond the 100% indicator.

A few other tidbits related to the device's battery are gaining some exposure, information which may help users plan how they use their iPads. First, a report from AnandTech addressing battery life has been gaining renewed interest for its revelation that users running a Verizon iPad in personal hotspot mode can see as much as 25 hours of battery life to provide connectivity for their other devices. That number has also been confirmed by The Verge.

While Verizon is including personal hotspot functionality in its iPad data plans at no extra charge, AT&T has yet to announced whether it will even support the feature at all, noting only that it is "working with Apple" on the issue.

Meanwhile, VR-Zone notes that the new iPad can draw as much as 2 amps of current when charging the battery from a nearly-depleted state, pushing the capacity of charging connections such as computer USB ports. Apple's supplied iPad power adapter provides for up to 2.1 amps of current from a wall outlet, and the company has long noted that this method offers the fastest charging on any iPad. Users can, however, still charge the device using the smaller 1-amp adapter included with an iPhone or by connecting the dock connector cable directly to a computer's USB port. VR-Zone notes:

As you can see in the video below, the iPad in question only had seven percent battery life remaining and at this point it's sucking 1.98A. That's a lot of power and we were told by Gigabyte that they've seen it hitting just over 2A. That said, as you might've noticed from the picture above, this quickly drops once the iPad begins to charge, but considering a standard USB 2.0 port only delivers 500mA and even a USB 3.0 port will only deliver 900mA, you have to wonder how much Apple cares about PC owners.

The new iPad carries a 42.5 watt-hour battery, roughly 70% larger in capacity and size than the 25 watt-hour battery found in the iPad 2.

Last week, we noted that Apple was still pushing to have its "nano-SIM" design adopted as the official next-generation standard to further reduce the size of the removable cards that include subscriber information and activation capabilities for mobile phones and other devices connecting to cellular networks. While the company has received the backing of a number of European carriers in its effort to roll out the new standard, other hardware companies are putting out their own proposals.

FOSS Patents now reports that it has seen a letter sent by Apple to the European Telecommunications Standards Institutes (ETSI) committing to offer royalty-free license to its nano-SIM design patents should it be adopted as the next-generation standard and holders of other patents related to the standard offer similar terms to ease adoption.

A perfectly reliable source that I can't disclose has shown me a letter dated March 19, 2012 that a senior Apple lawyer sent to ETSI. The letter addresses the primary concern of critics of the proposal. The FT said that "the Apple-led proposal has caused some concern among its rivals that the US group might eventually own the patents". But Apple's letter has removed this roadblock, if it ever was any, through an unequivocal commitment to grant royalty-free licenses to any Apple patents essential to nano-SIM, provided that Apple's proposal is adopted as a standard and that all other patent holders accept the same terms in accordance with the principle of reciprocity.

A move to a smaller SIM card standard would enable Apple to design smaller and thinner devices or to utilize some of the space within existing device volumes for other components. With the tightly-packed configurations of today's mobile devices, even minor size reductions for a given component can open the door to smaller or better-peforming devices.

Apple has also reportedly been developing a micro dock connector for future iOS devices, a move which would similarly free up space for other uses given the substantial size of the 30-pin dock connector used in all iOS devices released to date.

Sina.com notes [Google translation] that Apple CEO Tim Cook has been spotted in Beijing today, taking time on his trip to visit the Xidan Joy City retail store and pose for pictures with customers.

The purpose of Cook's trip to Beijing has not been confirmed, but the report suggests that he is meeting with top officials at Apple's iPhone carrier partners including China Unicom and China Telecom. The iPhone launched for the first time on China Telecom earlier this month, breaking China Unicom's exclusivity on official availability of the device.

Cook was also seen at China Mobile's headquarters last June before officially taking the reins as CEO of Apple. But China Mobile, the world's largest mobile phone carrier, has yet to begin offering the iPhone.

Update: Marketwatch reports on comments from an Apple spokeswoman sharing that Cook had "great meetings" with unnamed officials regarding Apple's plans for increased investment in China.

Cook "had great meetings with Chinese officials today. China is very important to us and we look forward to even greater investment and growth here," said Apple spokeswoman Carolyn Wu. She declined to give further details on the meetings.