Apple pushes iPhone 6s pop-up ads to App Store users on older iPhones, angering users
Apple is beginning to push fullscreen pop-up ads for the iPhone 6s to people opening the App Store app on some older iPhone models, according to a rush of user complaints.
Via Reddit user evenifoutside
The ad presents a graphic with the slogan "ridiculously powerful," and highlighted options to "learn more" or "upgrade now," according to posts on sites like Twitter and Reddit. An option to skip to the regular App Store interface is found in the upper-right corner of the screen.
The pop-ups appear to be targeted at people using an iPhone 5s or earlier, and may have been enabled with Tuesday's release of iOS 9.2.
Apple has previously marketed new devices through things like App Store banners and collections, but this is the first time Apple has temporarily prevented people from using an app simply for the sake of marketing -- at least when excluding the Apple Music sign-up screen seen after launching the iOS Music app for the first time. Such ads are relatively common in third-party apps.
Apple is presumably eager to fuel iPhone sales during the winter holidays, since the device is its most important product and the holidays its most lucrative sales season.
Via Reddit user evenifoutside
The ad presents a graphic with the slogan "ridiculously powerful," and highlighted options to "learn more" or "upgrade now," according to posts on sites like Twitter and Reddit. An option to skip to the regular App Store interface is found in the upper-right corner of the screen.
The pop-ups appear to be targeted at people using an iPhone 5s or earlier, and may have been enabled with Tuesday's release of iOS 9.2.
Apple has previously marketed new devices through things like App Store banners and collections, but this is the first time Apple has temporarily prevented people from using an app simply for the sake of marketing -- at least when excluding the Apple Music sign-up screen seen after launching the iOS Music app for the first time. Such ads are relatively common in third-party apps.
Apple is presumably eager to fuel iPhone sales during the winter holidays, since the device is its most important product and the holidays its most lucrative sales season.
Comments
Seems like this should have only been targeted at iPhone 5 or older, given that customers can currently purchase the 5s as the entry-level iPhone model. That's kinda like buying a low-end/entry level model from a car manufacturer, open up the on-screen owner's manual, and it has a pop-up recommending you by the high-end/premium model. lol Though maybe they are looking up the user's associated device profile and determining the age of the phone and only showing it for phones of a certain age.
Would Jobs have allowed this?
No.
" $32.09, $32.09, $32.09, $32.09..."
This one pop-up isn't such a huge deal, but I hope it's not indicative of a shift in priorities.
The new Music app was the first of it. If you have a force-press phone, it contains an advertisement for the Apple Music service that cannot be removed and sits there day after day asking you to join up. Every time you upgrade and re-start music for the first time, it shoots an advert at you on top of the one on the force-press menu.
Hell since iOS 8, most of the time when you open a store in an Apple OS, even if you are clicking on a link from an upgrade notification, it takes you to the promotional screen first, then you have to purposely switch *back* to the upgrades tab. It's getting a bit ridiculous if you ask me.
If I wanted advertisements in my OS's, I would go with Google Chrome. If I pay MONEY for something, (a LOT of money in the case of Apple's products) it should be 100% advertisement free.
Users are complaining about this????
First world problems I guess.
I saw this ad yesterday and it was quite nice. All you have to do is press the X and it goes away.
update: I opened the App Store just now and the ad wasn't there. I guess it only pops up once.
I think it's quite worth more sales for Apple at the cost of a few whiners. I mean it literally takes half a second to "skip".
2. Again, not everyone is seeing this. Maybe %60 of the iPhone population. Most people already upgraded to at least 6.
Had this been coded for everyone to see I would have agreed it being annoying.
Yet no one complains about all major websites now having a full screen "why not download the app?" pop up that transfers me to the App Store sometimes. No ones complaining about all the "please sign in" and "subscribe" banners which are now common. All you have to do is press the little "X" for these but because it's Apple it's front page news and a big deal.
wanna know what's REALLY annoying?? The damn full screen Apple App recommendations I get every 5 times I open the store suggesting apps I will NEVER download!!!!
Now THAT is something Apple needs to fix.
All of those things are annoying. And apparently even 6 owners are getting this ad. Apple shouldn't be in the business of promoting full screen ads, especially when iOS 9 gave us the ability to download content blockers to block ads. If Apple is OK with spamming the App Store who knows what's next? Will people start getting push notifications encouraging them to upgrade?
I don't want a 4.7" phablet. I want a 4" phone. So I'm sticking with my iPhone 5S until Apple release a 4" iPhone with modern features like 3D Touch and support for Apple Pay. If it costs the same price as Apple's phablets, fine. I already have an iPad for when I want a two-handed device.