Apple is touting reviews of its new iPhone X — but not from YouTubers by Kif Leswing on Nov 1, 2017, 10:21 AM Advertisement
 - Apple has been giving the new iPhone X to media ahead of its Friday launch.
- It changed its media strategy this year and gave early access to YouTubers and members of the press who don't typically write about technology.
- But when it came to quotes for a new ad, it pulled quotes from its favorite professional reviewers, who got extended access to the unreleased device.
Apple wants you to know that its handpicked reviewers love the iPhone X, a $999 phone that goes on sale on Friday. Apple published a press release on Wednesday with positive quotes from reviewers from publications like Buzzfeed, TechCrunch, a photography blog, and a few selected international newspapers. The iPhone maker also compiled those quotes into graphics and animations that appear to be perfect for use in advertisements or as a promoted post on Instagram or Twitter. It's not unusual for gadget makers to run positive quotes from reviews as part of advertisements, but it's not a common practice for Apple. Apple blogs called the announcement "unusual," and it's another sign that Apple's marketing and rollout strategy for this new device has changed from previous years to reach a broader audience beyond technology enthusiasts. All pros One thing to note is that the quotes Apple selected were mainly from professional technology reviewers, most of whom had a week or several days to test out Apple's new iPhone. TechCrunch, for example, was given access to Apple executives, and its reviewer even took his unreleased phone to Disneyland in a comprehensive review. The first quote used in Apple's GIF is from the TechCrunch piece. It's also notable that Apple isn't using quotes from YouTubers or non-traditional technology press. A minor controversy erupted earlier this week when Apple gave hands-on time and review loaners to a few YouTubers, who published their first look videos a day before professional reviewers or bloggers published their thoughts on the new phone. This ruffled some feathers, with one Apple blogger lashing out at some of the non-traditional media outlets that got early access. Apple blogger John Gruber, who is widely read by Apple fans and employees alike on the website Daring Fireball, had less than 24 hours to test the iPhone X before publishing a basic review. (Business Insider had a similarly limited amount of time.) "Thank god Apple seeded Mike Allen with an iPhone X review unit. Such great insight from his f------- nephew, the emoji expert," Gruber wrote sarcastically, referring to a few sentences in a politics newsletter in which the Axios founder wrote about his 19-year-old nephew's experience with the product. Other new voices who got early access included YouTube channels Fashion Magazine, gadget vlogger Sara Dietschy, and UrAvgConsumer. But when it comes to strong endorsements that Apple will use in its own advertising, Apple chose not to use the glowing impressions from YouTubers — something that Samsung has done in a recent ad for its own phones. Apple's sticking with the professional press — the same handpicked reviewers that got extra time with the iPhone X before it came out. SEE ALSO: With the iPhone X, Apple made some big changes to who gets review units first, and not everyone is taking it very well
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