The smile is fading:  Kanojia said there were so many glitches that he now regrets buying it. This picture was taken on the day he received the phone

Rajkumar Kanojia, the first iPhone buyer in Mumbai bitterly regrets his purchase. Speaking to the paper this morning, Kanojia, said, "I have wasted Rs 36,100 for the 16GB handset I bought on August 22. We were told that the phone allows complete access to the Internet. The truth is it doesn't! I cannot watch videos, access graphics, games, and download software, on my iPhone because it is not enabled with Adobe Flash Player."

He added, "I cannot use website shortcuts either because the phone is not enabled with Java Runtime." 

This 'discovery' comes at the time, of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), London, ruling yesterday, that the Apple iPhone was flawed.

The ruling said, precisely what Kanojia said: the phone does not allow users complete access to the Internet. This is because of the absence of two common programmes - Flash and Java - in the gadget that is touted for having the combined functions of a phone, a music player and a computer. Consequently, Apple's claim that the iPhone gave access to "all parts of the internet" misleads customers about its capability as a web browser.

The ASA ruled that the iPhone users cannot access graphics, videos and games on many websites because of the absence of Flash. And Java's absence deprives them from making use of website shortcuts.

It's useless

Added Kanojia, "The phone is a dud. If I keep it in another room, I cannot hear it ring even thought the volume is at the highest level. And get this: I cannot forward text messages, because the phone does not support forwarding! I cannot even copy the text of the SMS and paste it on to a new text message and send.

"Worse, I cannot enhance pictures that I download from the Net because there's no Adobe. I can't upgrade software on the phone either - apparently that can only be done through iTunes, which I now realise is not available in India."  

Confirming the problem, a Vodafone official on condition of anonymity said, "Apple hasn't disclosed this level of detail and it would be inappropriate for us to comment. It would make sense for them to use Flash and Java runtime on the iPhone given their desire to have a great mobile experience for their users."

The ruling comes as a blow to iPhone's otherwise impeccable reputation. Reviewers have praised its slim design, sophistication and versatility, in fact everything apart from the exorbitant price - Rs 31,000 for a 8 GB handset and Rs 36,100 for a 16 GB handset. It has also been criticised for being slow to download web pages, although the latest generation iPhone uses faster 3G technology.