Apple event – as it happened: Everything you need to know about new Watch, iPad and Fitness platform

Watch the whole event here:

Hello and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of Apple’s “Time Flies” event, which begins at 6pm UK time (or in just under 10 hours).

Is the iPhone 12 coming today? The short answer is: nobody outside of Apple can know for sure. But our best guess is no.

To mark the launch of the new products today, the UK’s Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has accused Apple of failing to answer questions “on its environmental record and repairability of its devices”.

The company was asked to participate in an inquiry into electronic waste but cancelled its appearance at late notice, the committee said. Its chair, Philip Dunne, said he had written to Tim Cook to request an explanation but is “yet to receive a substantive reply”.

“Apple has made more than two billion iPhones – a phone for every person in the whole of Africa and Europe. Today, as Apple unveils its next generation of gadgets, my Committee continues to wait for answers on what the company is doing to tackle its environmental footprint,” Mr Dunne said in a statement.

“With the speed at which new devices are brought to market, tech companies drive consumers to buy new products rather than prolonging the life of their existing items. It can also be very difficult to repair electronic devices, with many companies making it almost impossible – or if possible, very expensive – for consumers to have the ability to fix themselves. As a result, we’re seeing a throwaway society for electronics, and tech companies must take responsibility for the environmental impact that this causes. A circular economy with repair and recycling at its heart is crucial if we are to tackle the climate emergency.

“Apple appears to have a positive story to tell regarding its efforts on climate change. But its unwillingness to answer my Committee’s questions has led us to believe its environmental obligations is not taken seriously enough.”

Rumours are still coming in about the iPhone(s) 12, at this late* stage: reliable Apple analyst Ming-chi Kuo reports that the new phones won’t have the fast 120Hz refresh rate that had been rumoured. That has the effect of making the screen look smoother, and is already in place on a variety of other flagship phones – but the new report says that Apple has abandoned it for battery life reasons, presumably pushing it back into next year.

(Obviously, as before, we don’t know how late these rumours are: this could be announced in just a few hours. Or it could not be announced for another few weeks!)

If you’ve ever wondered what an Apple-designed face mask might look like, employees have shared pictures of their in-house facewear.

This one shared by Reddit user Dualjpg shows a clean and simple design that you might expect from the tech giant.

Quite a few people on Reddit and Twitter seem to be keen on Apple making its mask available to the public. 

Maybe that will be one of the surprise product announcements? The idea of Apple making a high-tech mask is not actually so far-fetched. Last month LG unveiled a face mask with built-in fans and air purifiers. 

As is customary before a major product launch, Apple’s online store is now out of action until after the announcements. The hype is building.

It’s not long past 7am in California but Apple CEO Tim Cook has already been up for a few hours tweeting. Early bird.