After an event, Apple does not leave reviews just up to individual hands-on time with a product and memories from the keynote address. Alongside the hardware, Apple provides writers with a “Reviewer’s Guide.” Meant to focus reviewers’ attention on key marketing points, making the “reviewing” process earlier, these booklets include many of the same phrases used on Apple’s website, but they sometimes also include some twists on reality.
For instance, the iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display packet implied that the Air and the new Mini were virtually the same product aside from screen size. “Both iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display deliver the full iPad experience, leaving just one question to be answered. Which size is right for you?,” reads the guide. Some early reviews followed Apple’s guide, claiming outright that both products are the same aside from size, but actual testing demonstrated that Apple’s claim was far from the truth. The display on the iPad Air is actually far superior in terms of color reproduction, and the processor in the iPad Air is slightly faster than the one in the Retina mini. Reviewers following Apple’s guide didn’t catch either of the issues, suggesting that some writers should do more testing of their products before accepting Apple’s marketing claims as pure truth.