Apple's smartphone owners have recently learned that the tech titan has started to display in-app pop-up ads in its App Store application, which market the iPhone 6s device. The full-screen ad is just in time for the holiday shopping season. It seems to show up on iPhone models that were released before the iPhone 6.
Cult of Mac first reported the advertisement. The App Store ad includes an image of multi-colored iPhones, with text claiming that the iPhone 6s is "Ridiculously Powerful." It offers two choices: Learn More or Upgrade Now.
iPhone users can circumvent the advertisement. They must tap the "Skip" button in order to return to Apple's App Store.
The iPhone ad does not just appear as an App Store banner advertisement. It is also found on the company's website, and in an email.
The iPhone website informs customers they can trade in their iPhone 4 or later, for a maximum $320 instant credit, according to MacRumors. Meanwhile, the email explains the iPhone financing program.
Apple smart phone users have generally given negative reviews for the pop-up ads. Many of them have complained on social media that Apple should not use in-app ads that market its own products.
An irony is that the tech giant's iOS 9 operating system includes an ad blocking feature, allowing smartphone and tablet users to block advertisements and certain content. However, its new in-app ads seem to oppose that approach, according to Tech Crunch.
Apple has used similar methods in the past. That included the App Store's search tool that returned Apple Maps results before Google's after a "Maps" query.
Apple sold 48 million iPhone units during Q4 of fiscal year 2015. That is up from 39.2 million units during Q4 of 2014.
Here's an iPhone 6s ad: