TL;DR
Apple could reportedly bring ads to more first-party iPhone apps. An ad-supported Apple TV Plus subscription tier has also been discussed.
Apple’s iPhones have a reputation for avoiding ads compared to Android, but the Cupertino company still serves search ads in some first-party apps (namely the App Store, News and Stocks apps). Now, a reliable source has revealed that Apple could improve things and bring ads to even more apps. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in his Power On newsletter that Apple could expand search ads to Apple Maps, Apple Books and Apple Podcasts apps on iPhones. More specifically, Gurman claims that the iPhone maker has already done internal work on search ads for Apple Maps. He adds that Apple would likely allow restaurants and other entities to pay for top billing when it comes to specific searches on Apple Maps (eg, a Japanese restaurant paying to rank at the top for “sushi”). The Bloomberg reporter suggests that podcast creators and book authors could pay for higher ratings in their respective Apple apps, or to have their works appear as ads in those apps.
Is Apple taking a page out of Android’s book?
This strategy of serving search-based ads in apps is similar to Google’s formula for Maps, the Play Store, and other properties on Android and other platforms. Having said that, Google’s approach also sees the company follow you to third-party websites and services. However, this would be a particularly disappointing development, as we could understand your frustration at seeing ads on an iPhone that can cost $1,000 or more.
What do you think of first-party ads on iPhone?
124 votes I’m fine with them 7% They are a bit annoying 16% I hate them 77% Gurman also suggests that Apple could potentially offer an ad-supported Apple TV Plus and offer the lineup at a cheaper price than the current tier. This would be similar to efforts by Hulu and Netflix. In fact, a recent Android Authority survey found that just over half of respondents would opt for an ad-supported Netflix plan when it arrives. So this could be a smart move for Apple. However, it looks like your options are pretty limited these days if you don’t want ads inside your phone’s first-party apps. In addition to Google ads within Android, companies like Xiaomi, Realme, Huawei, and Oppo have implemented system ads to some extent. Samsung has also offered system ads, but announced last year that it would end the practice. Comments
