Microsoft testing Ad banner in Mail and Calendar app

Microsoft’s Mail and Calendar app is shaping up to be a useful alternative to webmail, with several new features such as inking which would be difficult to replicate on the web.

Unfortunately, some of the things we are accustomed to in webmail appear to be heading to the app.

We have been sent this screenshot above, showing an ad embedded in the mail app in the mail list where it would be hard to miss and ignore. It appears Microsoft is testing the feature and will presumably be looking to roll it out to most users eventually.

I am somewhat ambivalent about the ads in the app. As mentioned earlier, ads are a standard feature of webmail, which is the most popular mail service for consumers, and the apps are free and being actively developed.  On the other hand having ads embedded in apps bundled with the OS, which you pay for when you purchase your PC, does not sit well.

Have any of our other readers seen these ads, and will it affect your use of the Mail app if/when they do arrive? Let us know below.

Thanks, Matt for the tip and screenshot.