Apple Limits Lengthy iPhone X Testing for Most Reviewers (wsj.com)

Tripp Mickle, reporting for the Wall Street Journal: Apple departed from its traditional preview strategy for what it bills as its most important new iPhone in years, prioritizing early access to the iPhone X for YouTube personalities and celebrities over most technology columnists who traditionally review its new products. Apple provided the iPhone X to a small number of traditional testers for about a week, while limiting most others, The Wall Street Journal included, to a single day with the device before reviews could be published (alternative source). About a half-dozen personalities on Alphabet's YouTube video service were granted time with the device before its release. The change in strategy meant the iPhone X, which hits stores Friday, got less testing than most of its predecessors before reviews could be published. Crash reviewers largely echoed those sentiments, adding the caveat that they could discover issues after they spend more time with the device. Most pledged full reviews for later in the week. The review strategy is "unusual," said Jan Dawson, an analyst with Jackdaw Research. "It's possible Apple wanted some reviews out early and those would be the more enthusiastic ones." He said YouTube reviewers tend to be more positive when given early access to devices, and that most reviews aren't overly negative. "Unless Apple felt like there would be some bad elements in the reviews, why would you hold back?" Mr. Dawson asked. "Why would you be selective about who gets it first?"

Comments

"Why be selective about who gets it first"?

[nuckfuts]

Maybe because they're not idiots and want to control their image / marketing.

Confused are you

[SuperKendall]

So thin, it'll probably bend if you accidentally have it in your pocket

Nope, thicker than the plus models, and the glass back means you won't be bending it any time soon.

(but!) it can be replaced with a bulky adapter

Or you can just use the included headphones or any wireless headphones with no adaptor... apparently it wasn't much of an issue for those hundreds of millions buying an iPhone 7, right?

And just look at that edge-to-edge display with the courageous notch left out for the speaker.

The speakers are not in the top bar, that is basically an entire Kinect, which no other phone has anything like... since it fits where the status bar goes on every other phone why the freakout? In fact I would think Slashdot of all place would welcome the notch, because it pushed out carrier branding from the status bar to eliminate subtle advertising you see every day...