FaceTime Ads Come to Europe as Feature Disappears in Middle East
According to a pair of reports from MacStories, several European countries have seen the debut of iPhone 4 commercials centered around the device's FaceTime video calling capabilities. The four new commercials are all set to Louis Armstrong's "When You're Smiling" and contain no voice-over text, making them appropriate for airing in multiple countries. The new commercials also close with carrier-specific branding in each of the countries where they have appeared, which include at least the UK, Italy, and Spain.
-
Lion-
Football-
Wedding Dress-
Mum's Birthday
Meanwhile, users in the Middle East are finding issues with FaceTime in their countries. The controversy began there last week when it was discovered that Apple had removed some FaceTime-related promo materials on its localized sites for several countries in the region, suggesting that the feature may not be making a debut there.
At the present time, there appear to be mixed reports about the status of FaceTime functionality in many countries in the region, with some reports indicating that FaceTime is functional out of the box but that it becomes disabled upon updating to iOS 4.1. Other users have reported mixed results with a variety of methods for trying to get FaceTime working on their phones.
The reason for the apparent lack of FaceTime functionality is unclear at this time, with one rather confusing report claiming that Apple removed the feature based on a mistaken assumption that it wouldn't be permitted due to restrictions on VoIP services common in the region.
Popular Stories
Apple's online store is going down for a few hours on a rolling country-by-country basis right now, but do not get your hopes up for new products.
Apple takes its online store down for a few hours ahead of Black Friday every year to tease/prepare for its annual gift card offer with the purchase of select products. The store already went down and came back online in Australia and New Zealand, ...
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. However, it is now completely sold out in all countries where it was released.
iPhone Pocket became available to order on Apple's online store starting Friday, November 14, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, ...
While all Macs are now powered by Apple's custom-designed chips, a new rumor claims that Apple may rekindle its partnership with Intel, albeit in a new and limited way.
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said Intel is expected to begin shipping Apple's lowest-end M-series chip as early as mid-2027.
Kuo said Apple plans to utilize Intel's 18A process, which is the "earliest...
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
Apple's disappointing iPhone Air sales are causing major Chinese mobile vendors to scrap or freeze their own ultra-thin phone projects, according to reports coming out of Asia.
Since the iPhone Air launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales and manufacturing cuts, while Apple's supply chain has scaled back shipments and production.
Apple supplier Foxconn has...
Cellular carriers have always offered big savings on the newest iPhone models during the holidays, and Black Friday 2025 sales have kicked off at AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more. Right now we're tracking notable offers on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. For even more savings, keep an eye on older models during the holiday shopping season.
Note: MacRumors is...
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include three standout features that could set it apart from the competition.
The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
