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Large Change

As a long time iPhone user but not an Apple fan, I am in that group of people who watch what is developing there and asking themselves periodically if time has come to switch from iPhone. I don't enjoy new bloatware being added to my phone each time the operating system upgrades. The newest incarnation of the fitness app cannot even correctly track my steps so I don't trust or expect it to do next level things.

The one thing I do enjoy about being on my phone is the fully ad-free experience. I recognize that there is a price to pay of this and that was the the implied contract between the customer and Apple. We pay a premium to not be hassled by ads. That is now changing. There will be very little to separate the iPhone experience from whatever else is out there that I have not explored, once ads become mainstream fare for Apple. I would not see the point of sticking around at that point. The fans of Apple may be a lot more tolerant and patient but they too have their breaking point. 

Broadly speaking, Apple joining the ad pack, even if the underlying technology is arguably less aggressive for now, carries a real brand risk. This is a company that has spent decades building a reputation for creating quality products that put the consumer first. As tempting as it may be, a pivot to advertising prepares the consumer for sale. Combining those two models would, at best, be a gamble.

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