Apple event – as it happened: iPhone 13, new Watch and iPad unveiled as devices hit by major problem

And we’re off. We open to a violinist on a sand dune, before switching to a drummer on a broadwalk.

“California Soul” is playing and every shot is a different view of the beautiful state.

And just like that, the stream goes live.

There’s just the usual ambient music for now, playing over an image of a glowing Apple logo floating over a lake.

It’s slowly zooming out.

Apple has begun the official countdown for the live stream launching. You’ll find it just above this blog if you scroll up slightly.

There’s roughly five minutes to go.

Privacy campaigners have been making their voices heard ahead of today’s event, with a number of protests taking place outside Apple Stores last night.

They relate to controversies over privacy and monopoly power – in particular the Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) system that was set to be implemented in iOS 15.

Protesters held up signs saying ‘No spyware on our phones, ever’, and ‘Hey Tim #NoSpyPhone’.

Here’s what one of the leading advocacy groups had to say:

We’ll find out soon if Apple have an update on any of this.

Less than half an hour to go until the event gets underway...

Tim Cook always posts on the morning of the Apple events. But he doesn’t usually post like this:

What does it mean? Is the video going to move from the usual Apple Park location?

It’s a little redolent of the invitation, which also included an outdoor, Californian vista, as well as the tagline “California Streaming”:

It’s a mystery. But one we probably won’t have to wait more than a couple of hours to solve.

As is tradition, the Apple Store has gone down ahead of the event. Visitors are just told to come back later:

Apple always does that before a siginficant new product launch, so it doesn’t tell us anything much. (It only means something is coming...)

It will probably go back online as soon as the event is over, probably with new details about the iPhone and everything else.

There’s only a few hours before we actually find out, but the rumours are still coming fast. The latest is that the cheaper iPad will be getting an update today, too.

That’s according to the the Weibo account @PandaIsBald, which has accurately leaked Apple information in the past, and reported by Macrumors.

None of the changes are likely to be especially exciting: it will probably get a speed bump and other small improvements, while keeping its current design, which is rounded with a TouchID button, unlike the rest of the iPads.

The update and the timing would make sense given that event comes as people are headed back to school, and the model has traditionally been focused on students and others who are keen for a relatively low-cost entry into the iPad range.

With just hours before the event begins, Apple has released an urgent security update for all of its devices. The patch fixes a flaw that could allow take over an iPhone, iPad or Mac – without the user even needing to do anything.

Our full story can be found here.

Even before the latest news, Apple has had a busy run up to today’s event. A couple of weeks ago, it said it was delaying a very public – and much criticised – plan to fight child abuse on its platforms by scanning images; days ago, the judgement in its trial against Epic was released, which Apple hailed as a win but is nonetheless not entirely positive.

... to The Independent’s live coverage of the latest Apple event – which will probably see the release of the iPhone 13, Apple Watch Series 7 and new AirPods.