back to article iAds to flood UK iPhones, iPads

Apple's iOS-based iAd service will jump the pond next month and land in the UK and France, debuting with ads for L'Oréal, Renault, Louis Vuitton, Absolute Radio, and eight other deep-pocket brands. These brands will join what Cupertino's announcement claims are "over half of the top 25 leading US national advertisers" in the …

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  1. M Gale
    Badgers

    Considering how much flak I usually like to throw at Apple...

    ...I find myself going "meh" at the plans to run their own advertising through the phone. It's not like everyone else doesn't do it, and free apps are pretty much expected to throw up banners here and there. So they probably won't let Random Advertising Network Ltd into their walled garden? BFD. At least this way the customers' personal data and history is only being mined by one company that is too big to fold up and disappear to evade the law if data protection violations rear their head.

    I'm just slightly boggled that they are sticking with that name. Congratulations, your iPhone now has iAds? That's a screw-up of Microsoftian "If you have a life without walls, why do you need Windows" comedy potential.

    1. Giles Jones Gold badge

      Dev fees

      What is annoying is the dev fees are on an annual basis. There would a lot more free applications without adverts if the dev fees were a one off payment.

      Of course, you only need to pay when you get to the stage of submitting to the App Store or if you wish to run on real hardware.

  2. Ian Ferguson
    Grenade

    A pain to deal with, huh?

    Nothing like Google Adwords, then...

    1. A handle is required
      Stop

      Oh please...

      Try Greasemonkey or AdBlock Plus. No more AdWords. As far as I know, no such thing exists for Apple's ads.

  3. Pirate Peter
    Coat

    as if i did not need yet more reasons to avoid apples products

    so now they have their captive adience locked in, they will be spamming them with adverts they don't want

    just in time for xmas

    one more reason not to let an apple product through my front door

    mines the coat without anything apple in it

    1. RegisterThis

      Spot on ...

      My view of Apple's design for the iPad/iPhone has always been as their 'personal media delivery platform' to your pocket (or onto your lap) ... and Googles foray into Android as a platform for delivering their ads into your pocket (and now also lap).

      Of the 2 evils, Ads has been the greatest for me as media at least has its benefits (even if constrained by a walled garden).

      However, Apple now clearly leaps to the top of the evil pile with media AND ads. At least Android has still not erected a wall. (e.g. Bing being used as the deault search engine on some devices)

      Would be nice if the communication device market was not dominated by companies building devices tailored to bringing them continuous revenue streams and focussed on devices for communication and not media/add consumption :-( (Unfortunately increasingly rare with symbian in retreat, Meego still only 'press-release-ware' and Bada ... well ...)

      1. jai

        what?

        you guys have no idea how the iAds system works, do you?

    2. Pandy06269

      Did you read the article?

      It's to allow developers to earn money for coding applications then giving them away for FREE.

      "one more reason not to let an apple product through my front door"

      You don't want ads, don't use free apps - buy them instead. I've moved to an iPhone from my previous Android handset because the iPhone is much superior, and let me tell you - there are PLENTY more free apps with ads on the Android Marketplace than there are in the App Store.

      And you get the added bonus that Apple apps are better quality anyway because they've been reviewed before being published to the App Store.

      It's no different whatsoever to TV broadcasting (at least in the UK.) You pay an annual licence fee which goes to the BBC, so there are no ads (at least only ads for BBC programs) but you get ads on ITV, C4 and five because they don't get any contribution from the BBC's licence fee.

    3. nation of stupid

      @Pirate Peter

      "so now they have their captive adience locked in, they will be spamming them with adverts they don't want"

      So I take it you'll be going nowhere near an Android phone then.

      For example:

      Angry Birds on iPhone - paid for ad free app.

      Angry Birds on Android - free annoyingly distracting advert supported app.

  4. BillyIdol
    Flame

    Bindun in 1986

    Adverts on a music playing device? I'm sure someone did that before... Oh yes! Sigue Sigue Sputnik. They also had Studio Line from L'Oreal although in this case, I can see how it might make a change from Job's constant whining.

    For the younger members: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigue_Sigue_Sputnik

    Granted this is for apps, but still along the same lines. Then of course, you may end up paying more for those adverts because the are iAdverts.

    Flames as I'm betting the Apple fanbois won't appreciate the sarcasm!

    1. Dagg Silver badge
      IT Angle

      Adverts on a music playing device?

      Isn't that just an old fashion radio!

    2. StooMonster
      Paris Hilton

      SSS

      Those SSS adverts are burned into my brain, mere mention of them has turn on the L'Oreal ear-worm.

      Paris because mention of SSS has reminded me of a cute girl I picked up at one of their gigs.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    Mixed feeling on this one

    On the down side: ugh! Ads when I don't want them. Can I turn them off?

    In the middle: well, if it makes for a better user experience or contributes to lower costs it may be worthwhile enduring the ads (but can I turn them off?)

    In the longterm:

    if ad revenues return wholesomely to those with iAds credentials look for a big bump in Year 2 to ad costs.

    If iAds flop will it mean open access to any and all with a compromised Apple experience?

    If it sort of just chugs along: mediocrity maintained?

    1. Campbeltonian

      Off

      You can't turn the ads off, as such.

      But you will only see an iAd in apps you've downloaded, where the developer has decided to use them. You could always just not use those apps. There are no iAds on the phone itself.

      1. Martin
        Jobs Horns

        correction...

        There are no iAds on the phone itself....yet.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Thumb Down

          Hang on Martin...

          Since the vast majority of Google's revenues come from adverting and the bought AdMob specifically for advertising targeted at mobile platforms that have already been available for a couple of years, does it not follow that Google are more likely to do this, especially given the total disregard Herr Schmidt has for privacy and taking into account that, as such, Google do not make a dime from Android?

          1. A handle is required
            FAIL

            @AC

            Well:

            Google != Apple

            1. Anonymous Coward
              FAIL

              @A handle is required

              And Google are the very example of a business with fucking scruples are they? Are the fuck! Yet *another* delusional fandroid. Given previous form of both, Google is the most likely to implement ads everywhere. Fact.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Roaming...

    I just hope iAds is sensible enough to turn off (or let you turn off) its demands for a data connection (to collect new adverts) when you're abroad on holiday, or the phone bill when you return is going to contain a world of pain...

    Oh hang on, this is designed in the USA... What percentage of them was it that have passports again?

    Oh gawd, you're screwed!

    1. Tempest

      How many passports? A hell of a lot!

      Anyone wanting to enter/re-enter the States needs a passport. Members of First Nations (aka 'Indians') have border crossing rights as per their treaties such as the Kanawaga and frequently suggest to US border guards alternate uses for body orifices. Their tribal lands straddle the Canadian/USA border.

      Driving licences, birth certificates are no longer acceptable.

    2. Dan 10

      Over-ridden

      On the iPhone, data connectivity is turned off by default when you're abroad, so this wouldn't occur. The ads will likely be in the free or ultra-cheap apps, paying for the app will likely prevent them.

    3. nation of stupid

      (untitled)

      Considering that if you have a data connection anywhere with Android it will download ads then I expect the iAds will do the same.

      If the ad supported games and apps don't need a data connection, turning it off when using them prevents the ads downloading on Android, I expect the same will work on the iPhone.

  7. ShaggyDoggy

    iBlocker

    ... now writing it

    1. Andy ORourke
      Happy

      Good Luck.......

      Getting that approved at the Apple store :-)

  8. JaitcH
    Alert

    Choice needed: paid Apps free of ads as well as sponsored Apps

    Let's UK privacy legislation catches up with smartphones prohibiting the collection and re-transmission of any location data - unless specifically permitted on a line by line basis.

    This privacy should also include info about WiFi's in the area (Google was hit with complaints so why should iAds be able to) or details about the handset other than the telephone number.

    An option should be available whereby purchasing an App entitles you to use free of adverts or the collection of data unrelated to the App operation. 'Free' Apps should be allowed to display adverts.

    I feel the RIM exec who suggested that apps shouldn't be needed hit a point - smartphones are largely mobile InterNet terminals and many Apps are superfluous.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Grenade

      Please...

      "I feel the RIM exec who suggested that apps shouldn't be needed hit a point - smartphones are largely mobile InterNet terminals and many Apps are superfluous."

      I just know that you would have been one of the many goons dribbling about how the original iPhone didn't have a native SDK and that nobody wanted or needed web apps! Be quiet.

    2. nation of stupid

      @Jaitch

      "An option should be available whereby purchasing an App entitles you to use free of adverts or the collection of data unrelated to the App operation. 'Free' Apps should be allowed to display adverts."

      Yes, that's usually how the system works and is the whole point of it. Want the app for free, then put up with ads to fund the developer. Pay for the app and they remove the ads.

  9. dogged
    Paris Hilton

    I'm surprised advertisers aren't leaping at it

    A guaranteed audience of people who have already proven themselves willing to pay over the odds for shiny crap?

    That market's worth gold.

    1. TeeCee Gold badge
      Thumb Up

      @dogged

      As one of the early adopters is Louis Vuitton*, I don't think you are the first to spot that one....

      *One of those 50 quid bags with a 500 quid logo on it should go nicely with that 200 quid smartphone with a 700 quid logo on it. Not for nothing are both LVMH and Apple famously litiginous when it comes to their branding.....

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @JaitcH

    Although it is feasible that paid for apps could also have adverts it would be blatantly stupid to do so as (1) you would make your money from the app rather than add-pushing and (2) no one would buy an app that also punted ads.

    Free apps punt ads because they are free in the same way that your lunch is free - one way or another the developer needs a revenue stream so either you pay for it up front or you suck up the adds. You don't have to launch them.

    iAds is a much better option than embedding ads in apps in the way they are/were done previously - as has been discussed here at length.

    And as for permission to collect data, one of two things would happen, either you would sign away your rights when you originally buy iPhone/iPad or you would sign away your rights when you buy the application.

  11. ShaggyDoggy

    Re: Sign away your rights

    I'm afraid a bit of paper (or non-paper) that you didn't actually "sign" can not overrule an Act of Parliament, whatever Apple/Jobs/you might believe

  12. WonkoTheSane
    FAIL

    Adblock in the market?

    Didn't think so.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Jobs Horns

    Am I special...

    .... or have I missed something.

    I'm getting iAds today in the UK.

    Shareprice.co.uk app now has ads (don't remember it showing them before, but it probably did). The annoying ads say "iAds" in the corner

  14. Lottie
    Black Helicopters

    I fail to see the problem

    Opera on the PC back in the day had an ad bar at the top. No biggie.

    Some android apps on my phone are add supported. No biggie again, if I don't want to see the ads, I buy the adfree version. Sometimes the coders let the app run when data connection is off. No connection, no ads.

    I really can't see the issue here. I dislike apple for a lot of reasons, but I can't see how this is any worse than, say, the ads in the free version of Spotify?

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