Apple’s iPods and iPhones to carry advertising

The Daily Telegraph recently reported that a patent application filed in the United States suggests that the leading technology firm is considering introducing commercials in order to sell its products at a discounted price. Described in the application as “enforcement routine” software, it is believed the technology would force users to watch or listen to small adverts which they would be unable to skip past.

Apple, like all leading technology firms, regularly files experimental patent applications, which never come to fruition. But the inclusion of Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs’ name on the application, has led some commentators to conclude that the idea is being taken seriously by the company. It is believed pressure from rival firms, such as Spotify – which allows users to download free music tracks providing they listen to periodic adverts – has persuaded Apple to take the technology seriously.

Internet advertising is becoming increasingly lucrative and figures from the Internet Advertising Bureau have revealed that spending on online adverts grew by 4.6 per cent in the first half of 2009, overtaking television for the first time.

So here’s the question, will you buy the iPhone or the iPod knowing that it’s going to be cheaper but you’ll be stuck with advertisements running across your screen every time you load an application just because it helps to reduce the price of the product? What about people like myself who has purchased the products way earlier? Will we be subjected to it after it’s introduced?

Small advertisement bars already appears on free apps we download from the App store and it’s quite ok but imagine you have to sit through a list of questionnaires each time you launch an app. I believe that instead of increasing it’s market share in the mobile world, it’ll only slowly push users away. At the end of the day, no users want to see advertisements appear each time they use an application. How much cheaper can the iPhone or iPod get if this is implemented?

If you are given a choice to help reduce the cost of the iPod or the iPhone, what would you suggest Apple should do to reduce the price of their products without adding in stuff that we don’t want in the Apple?

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