Apple Maps Is Getting Ads. Yes, Really.

Apple is gearing up to shove ads into its Maps app. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the company will let retailers and brands bid on ad slots tied to search queries — think searching for "coffee" and getting a promoted Starbucks pin before the indie shop around the corner.

The move is part of Apple's relentless push to squeeze more revenue from its services division. The company already runs search ads in the App Store, and Maps represents fresh inventory in a business that's become increasingly central to Apple's growth story.

For users, it means yet another default Apple app getting the ad treatment. For businesses, it opens a new bidding war for visibility on one of the most-used mapping platforms on the planet.

No word yet on timing or pricing structure.