iPhone users are complaining that Apple is showing them pop-up ads telling them to upgrade their iPhone. Over the last week, there have been multiple reports on Twitter and Reddit of full-screen ads appearing when users open the App Store. The ad shows pictures of the iPhone 6S with the tagline "ridiculously powerful," offering options to skip, "learn more," or "upgrade now." Most users say they saw the ad after upgrading to iOS 9.2 while using an iPhone 5S or older, although at least one person on Twitter claims he was shown the iPhone 6S ad while using an iPhone 6S.

iPhone owners say the ads seem particularly unfair given Apple's claims that it's only interested in getting users to buy its products — not in turning them into a captive audience for advertisements. One user on the Apple Insider forums compared the ads to being up-sold after purchasing a new car: "[It's] kinda like buying a low-end/entry level model from a car manufacturer, open up the on-screen owner's manual, and it has a pop-up recommending you by [sic] the high-end/premium model." Others say the ad is just the latest example in an established trend of Apple promoting its own products within its own products, something the company has done within iTunes for years and, more recently, with Apple Music. Even noted Apple blogger John Gruber described the ads as "uncouth."