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Apple is looking at introducing ads to essential iPhone apps in a move bound to annoy millions of users.

According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, the tech giant wants to expand its ad business significantly using the pre-installed apps on its smartphones.

Apps including Maps, Books, Podcasts and more could start featuring paid-for ads targeted at users.

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The company has reportedly tested the ads internally and, if they go ahead with the plans, would mean adverts are now nearly everywhere online as the likes of Netflix and Disney+ introduce ads to their services too.

Gurman says that Apple is now testing ads internally, and believes they will roll it out to lots of major pre-installed apps, much to users annoyance.

He said: "Let's say you shelled out [£1000] or more to buy one, do you want to feel like Apple is squeezing more money out of you just to use its standard features?"

It would, after all, mean that Apple is profiting from user data even after users have forked out hundreds of pounds for their iPhone.

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This could even be the case on Apple Maps, the iPhone's popular satnav system.

Gurman said: "The effort to add search ads to Apple Maps has already been explored internally. Such a feature would probably work similarly to search ads in the App Store.

"For instance, a Japanese restaurant could pay money to rank at the top of local listings when users searched for 'sushi'."

The rumours are unconfirmed and there's no clear confirmation that Apple plans to introduce the ad system to the iPhone 14, which is widely tipped for release next month.

However, Gurman argues that Apple's advertising team is now in charge of the company's services organisation, which could mean they'll have a larger role to play in the iPhone's development.

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