There’s very little for me to comment on or add value to the conversation around Apple showing adverts on their devices. There are many more knowledgable about the situation than I, and couple with the fact I don’t care currently, means I stay quiet. That said, the recent moaning makes me think back to the days I used to love Samsung phones and the biggest reason I quit was ads.

That’s right, dear reader, I once very nearly switch to Samsung around the Galaxy Fold 2 / Note 20 Ultra era. They were great phones and I enjoyed using them to review, but what put me off in the end was that I felt like I was the product. Adverts would constantly be displayed in Samsung apps, such as Pay. They even went as far as sending notifications and adverts right in your notification area at some points. All of which completely put me off dealing with the company.

If you buy a cheap device, you expect companies to bundle in services and try to push you towards spending more money. You don’t, however, expect this when you spend upwards of £1,200 on a phone like the Fold 2 or Note 20 Ultra. Granted Samsung are possibly the worst offender in this space, and do similar things with their expensive TVs, so we might be comparing Apples to Oranges, but it just feels off.

I absolutely expect a company to be pushed to make more and more money, and I understand that people have a strange perception of Apple as a whole, but it’s starting to feel a bit weird all of a sudden. There is nothing immediate to worry about, but after years and years of Apple telling us they don’t do adverts and yelling at other companies that treat their customers as products, it feels like the tide is turning.

Granted, these are only feelings, ones based on experiences with the worst of the worst, but I understand where some users are coming from. If we continue down this road, it could very well end up a disaster. However, rightly or wrongly, I do have faith that Apple will do this correctly. Unfortunately, I can look at the trashy adverts in Apple News and see a world where Tim Cook can’t be so preachy any more.