2016 was a bad year. New iPhone has been the worst selling one in relative numbers since the iPhone. New MacBooks has several issues and controversial choices, while not bringing anything substantial to the table. New Watch changes are so small, nobody noticed an update.
If they just kept making the same stuff with minor hardware updates, you would hear much less criticism, if any at all.
As a proof, look at the complaints about their newest products, here or elsewhere. They all focus on the new features. Nobody is complaining that Apple is not trying to bring new stuff to the table. On the contrary, the problem is that they are trying hard to innovate on something that should stay in "maintenance mode."
It may be a cultural American thing, because I really don't understand why they are doing it. I think they are shooting themselves in the foot.
Currently I don't see anyone at Apple who's an innovator. They're all talented execution guys, but they're not inventors.
There's a difference between invention and refinement. Apple has been doing a lot of refinement, but very little invention. And increasingly even the refinement is kind of sketchy.
There were definitely missed opportunities.
Apple could have turned Apple TV into Alexa - which would not only have been very cool, but would also have given everyone a reason to buy Apple TV.
Apple could have owned the domestic IoT space and added a layer of security and reassurance that's missing from current products.
Apple could have taken podcasting and created the video and audio creator's market now owned by YouTube.
Don't like these? There were others.
Instead we got bigger, smaller, thinner, shinier... Plus a payment system which is kind of limping along, a failed car project, a not very attractive watch, and increasingly un-special hardware and software that's actively frustrating influential professional users.