Apple is reported to have initiated with banning many applications for its iPhone that feature sexually tinged content, including photos of women in bikinis and lingerie, an initiative that emerged as an abrupt surprise to developers who had been gaining from such programs.

Philip W. Schiller, Head of Worldwide Product Marketing at Apple quoted, "It came to the point where we were getting customer complaints from women who found the content getting too degrading and objectionable, as well as parents who were upset with what their kids were able to see".

The company's decision to shut the applications from its App Store over the last few days signifies that it is not interested in giving up its strict control over the software available there, even as competitors like Google take a more hands-off approach.

However, analysts revealed that Apple appeared to be attempting in order to ensure that the App Store would not scare off potential customers as its products become more restricted.

The iPad will run similar applications that operate on the iPhone and iPod Touch, which posited that consumers were willing to pay for software that transformed their devices into gaming machines, e-readers and navigation systems.