Apple's latest crop doesn't quite hit the spot

San Francisco

DESPITE the strength of its brand, Apple Inc occasionally releases a product to mediocre reviews - remember the original Apple TV or Apple Watch? But reviewers have rarely been as grumpy as this month, when Apple unveiled its collection of new gadgets for the holidays.

Each product was docked by reviewers for specific functional flaws, ranging from the iPhone 8's middling design to Apple Watch Series 3 issues with wireless connectivity, and quality problems with the Apple TV 4K's video output.