Apple pushes iPhone 6s pop-up ads to App Store users on older iPhones, angering users

Posted:
in iPhone edited December 2015
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
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.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 77
    damonfdamonf Posts: 229member

    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.

    edited December 2015 retrogustocalidws-2
  • Reply 2 of 77
    roakeroake Posts: 809member
    And Cook slowly converts Apple to political activism and increasingly desperate methods of support, shipping unfinished products, etc..  This is the top of the slide.

    Would Jobs have allowed this?

    No.
    Prof_Peabodylmagoojackansimactacdesignrdws-2xixo
  • Reply 3 of 77
    "Huh-uh. No, siree. No, ma'am. No, no, no, no." - Sissy from Sordid Lives
    Prof_Peabody
  • Reply 4 of 77
    zroger73 said:
    "Huh-uh. No, siree. No, ma'am. No, no, no, no." - Sissy from Sordid Lives

    " $32.09, $32.09, $32.09, $32.09..."
    zroger73
  • Reply 5 of 77
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    I can't wait to see how some of the usual suspects on this forum defend this. Should be entertaining.
    edited December 2015 jackansisirlance99xixo
  • Reply 6 of 77
    This is a great way to make me get out my wallet...and buy a OnePlus2.
    sirlance99
  • Reply 7 of 77
    I have been irritated by the music pop-up, because you get a new one every time you upgrade the OS. Once was bad enough, and the latest music interface is bad even without this. Apple is normally good about focusing on making great products that provide the best user experience possible, with the understanding that this will be the best way to get customers to keep buying their products. Whoever made the decision to ad these pop-ups doesn't seem to get that. 

    This one pop-up isn't such a huge deal, but I hope it's not indicative of a shift in priorities. 
    jackansixixo
  • Reply 8 of 77
    damonf said:

    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.

    I disagree. A full-screen pop-up advertisement right in the OS, is not welcome at all for anyone ever. Apple has been doing a lot of this sort of thing lately and if we don't complain about it, they will only get worse.

     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.
    edited December 2015 lmagoojackansiBrunsworksmrboba1dws-2tofinobradipaoxixo
  • Reply 9 of 77
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    This is a great way to make me get out my wallet...and buy a OnePlus2.
    Hilarious. You get the Troll of the Day award. Your check is in the mail.
    calidavenIanMC2nolamacguy
  • Reply 10 of 77
    sog35 said:
    mac_128 said:
    I can't wait to see how some of the usual suspects on this forum defend this. Should be entertaining.
    Whats there to defend?

    All companies advertise on their own sites. 
    This isn't Apple's website it's the App Store. And if it was just a banner vs. a full screen modal ad that you have to dismiss to get the the App Store most people wouldn't care. This isn't acceptable, at least not from Apple.
    jackansidasanman69Brunsworksdws-2sirlance99
  • Reply 11 of 77
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    mac_128 said:
    I can't wait to see how some of the usual suspects on this forum defend this. Should be entertaining.
    And what, exactly, do you plan to do about this other than whine? Switch platforms? Who would you go to that doesn’t advertise their products on their own websites? Put your money where your whine is. Otherwise you don’t look so good.
    IanMC2
  • Reply 12 of 77
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,335member
    OMG. Just when we thought the world could not sink into deeper depths of despair. 700 milliseconds of my life I will never get back. (yeah, I'm a little slow, eye-hand coordination falling off a bit) Not to mention the extra wear and tear on my fingertip while having to press the Skip button one time. I smell a class action lawsuit...
    IanMC2kibitzer
  • Reply 13 of 77
    Ignore me - I read it wrong, it's been a long week.
    edited December 2015
  • Reply 14 of 77
    lkrupp said:
    mac_128 said:
    I can't wait to see how some of the usual suspects on this forum defend this. Should be entertaining.
    And what, exactly, do you plan to do about this other than whine? Switch platforms? Who would you go to that doesn’t advertise their products on their own websites? Put your money where your whine is. Otherwise you don’t look so good.
    Since when is the App Store a website? If I'm going to the App Store to look for an app I don't want to see a full screen ad that I have to dismiss. What's next, every time a non-Apple Music subscriber opens the music app they get presented with a full modal app asking them to sign up for Apple Music? Stupid idea. All it's going to do is annoy customers and make Wall Street analysts think 6S sales are soft.
    jackansiBrunsworkssirlance99brakkenxixo
  • Reply 15 of 77
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    What?!!!
    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".
    edited December 2015 IanMC2
  • Reply 16 of 77
    cali said:
    What?!!!
    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".
     Don't like it at all. Especially when Apple still sends emails for advertising. I'd be very curious to know how many 6S's Apple is selling because of this. My guess is not many. There's a reason people pay a premium for Apple products and it's not to have ads shoved in their face on their phone.
    jackansiBrunsworks
  • Reply 17 of 77
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    sog35 said:
    mac_128 said:
    I can't wait to see how some of the usual suspects on this forum defend this. Should be entertaining.
    Whats there to defend?

    All companies advertise on their own sites. 
    This isn't Apple's website it's the App Store. And if it was just a banner vs. a full screen modal ad that you have to dismiss to get the the App Store most people wouldn't care. This isn't acceptable, at least not from Apple.
    1. I think us users of older models kinda deserve this. Remember not everyone is on tech blogs reading the latest Apple tumors. Awareness is good for us.

    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.
  • Reply 18 of 77
    sog35 said:
    cali said:
    What?!!!
    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".
     Don't like it at all. Especially when Apple still sends emails for advertising. I'd be very curious to know how many 6S's Apple is selling because of this. My guess is not many. There's a reason people pay a premium for Apple products and it's not to have ads shoved in their face on their phone.

    So you think an Ad that takes a millisecond to dismiss will stop someone from buying a 6s?  Really?  

    So instead they are going to buy a Android phone that is 100% about Ads?  LOLOLOLOOOOOLOLOOOLLOOOLOLOL!!!

    Can you even hear yourself typing?  

    It does not matter if you like it or not.  Advertising is part of business.  PERIOD. Either deal with it or live in the jungle.  Ads work.  That's why companies run them.  As long as they are not obnixous, intrusive, or data mining I'm fine with it.
    Just as Apple allows content blockers for Safari in the App Store they start pushing full page ads in the App Store. And people defend it here. Sheesh.
    Brunsworkssirlance99jackansi
  • Reply 19 of 77

    cali said:
    sog35 said:
    mac_128 said:
    I can't wait to see how some of the usual suspects on this forum defend this. Should be entertaining.
    Whats there to defend?

    All companies advertise on their own sites. 
    This isn't Apple's website it's the App Store. And if it was just a banner vs. a full screen modal ad that you have to dismiss to get the the App Store most people wouldn't care. This isn't acceptable, at least not from Apple.
    1. I think us users of older models kinda deserve this. Remember not everyone is on tech blogs reading the latest Apple tumors. Awareness is good for us.

    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?
    Brunsworksjackansi
  • Reply 20 of 77
    mcarlingmcarling Posts: 1,106member
    More like: Ridiculously Huge!

    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.
    jackansiBrunsworks
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