No matter what platform you use, or how long you use it for, the worst thing about it is almost always the advertising. It might be the worst piece of garbage in the world, but a free piece of garbage definitely beats one littered with ads. Unfortunately, Google Maps and Waze have been suffering from this particular blight for a while, and Apple Maps might finally join the party.
There have been reports that Apple has been considering putting ads in Apple Maps for a while, going back to at least last February. But according to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, Apple might even announce the change before the end of the month — with the first ads appearing in the summer. That doesn't give us much time to enjoy an ad-free Apple Maps experience.
Gurman says that this move is an attempt by Apple to generate more money from services. It's no huge surprise, since Apple has been pushing for more service-based revenue for several years, and Gurman notes that services now bring in 25% of Apple's revenue — up from 10% a decade ago. Earning ad revenue from Apple Maps probably seems like a no-brainer.
Sources speaking to Gurman claim the system will be similar to Google Maps, with retailers and brands bidding for ad slots that appear in search results. That means, whenever users search for a specific term (like "sushi"), the top result will be an ad from the highest bidder.
Ads are the absolute worst
Obviously, there isn't a single person out there who wants to be exposed to more advertising in their daily lives. Those of you who opt to use Apple Maps over Google Maps or one of the many other alternative navigation apps might be doing so simply because there's no advertising involved.
I'll admit that search result ads are not the worst way to do things, and there are a lot more intrusive options that Apple could eventually employ. Google, for instance, features sponsored locations on the main map interface — which are easily identifiable by the square map pin, rather than the circle. Waze has also been known to use full-screen ads that appear when your car is stationary.
It's previously been claimed that Apple will utilize AI to ensure any ads Apple Maps serves will be "relevant and useful." Though it doesn't change the fact that any advertising is automatically worse than none.
But as Gurman notes, Apple is facing a lot of service challenges — especially with the way it runs the app store. Not to mention the rise in AI-based search could put its multi-billion-dollar Google search deal at risk. So bringing in more ad revenue would help offset any losses in those areas and keep the shareholders happy.
So enjoy those ad-free trips while you still can. It doesn't sound like they'll be sticking around for much longer.
