FaceTime images disappear from Middle Eastern iPhone promos
updated 11:00 am EDT, Tue September 21, 2010
Meant to conform to Islamic sensibilities?
Apple has subtly modified some promotional material for the iPhone 4 to remove references to FaceTime, reports note. In Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Yemen, as well as Egypt and Jordan, official pages for the iPhone 4 no longer show a woman and man having a video conversation. Instead, Apple has substituted content promoting the device's Retina Display.
Apple has yet to explain the change, but two hypotheses have been suggested. The first is that FaceTime could be disabled in the affected countries in the run up to anticipated iPhone 4 launches later this month. An alternative is that Apple is may simply be worried about local reaction, as all of the countries are predominantly Muslim. Orthodox interpretations of the religion prevent women from showing their faces in public without a veil.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: May 2005
Cultural sensitivity
Well obviously, an uncovered face of a woman in a public image would offend too many in that part of the world.
A few self-righteous may launch into a debate over discrimination, humiliation, human rights, etc. Obviously, this simply doesn't matter. Replacing one image with another in a marketing campaign doesn't really say anything other than a company being sensitive to the local realities.