Apple’s latest iPhone advertisement has been ordered to be pulled from UK screens by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for giving the impression the phone could browse the web, download and install applications really fast – which everyone knows is not quite a 100 percent true every time.

The advertisement would have been seen by millions of people and involved that guy talking over the advert about how fast and easy it is to make your phone “change everything”. The end of the advert had a footer that said: “Steps removed and sequence shortened. Network speeds may vary,” which in theory means they could get away with showing the advertisement.

This has happened to Apple in the UK before: The company landed in hot water after it claimed that the entire internet came with the iPhone – a bold claim to say the least.

The reason for the ASA demanding the pulling of the advert is that there is a huge difference between showing things in fast forward and removing the steps need to complete whatever process you want to do. However, a whole 17 people complained to ASA which means you won’t see it in that form again if Apple comply with the request.

Apple won’t be too worried though, and as ASA has little or no real sway any more, they can choose to ignore the request – which I expect they will.

In other smartphone related news, Google’s Android platform is to double its G1 shipment next year if the rumours are correct, making it a much better seller than HTC could have ever predicted.

HTC says it will ship around 1 million G1 phones by the end of 2008, which is a vast increase on the previous estimate of 600,000 handsets made earlier in the year.

HTC’s CEO Peter Chou says that his company will ship a further 1 million Touch Diamond handsets this year, bringing the total to 3 million.

Chou is adamant that the credit crisis across the world has not effected his business at all, and that he does not plan to release any staff this year. He did say that his firm is looking at buying over an American handset design company, but refused to give any details away.