It seems nobody understands
It seems nobody understands CVTs, including the author of this article. Vehicles with CVTs "rev high" because the CVT keeps the engine at the highest torque output, which always gives the most power. Acceleration is not less, it is more. People who want to control the CVT with paddles are either 1. control freaks or 2. those who have an occasional geniune use, such as engine braking. "Manually shifting" a CVT will result in slower acceleration, always. But it will make you feel like you are in control, and marketing departments find a huge value in that.