Apple launched a series of new products at an event broadcast from California on 20 April, including AirTags.

The AirTag product will rival the original Tile Tracker, which launched following a successful crowdfunding campaign in 2014.

The Apple product, which will cost £29, is a small round disk that can be attached to anything and transmit a Bluetooth signal to an iPad or iPhone to alert the user of its location.

AirTags will launch on 30 April and will work on all devices containing the U1 chip, which includes the iPhone 11 and later models.

The tags are designed to track items not people and are customisable.

Alongside the AirTags, Apple has revealed a string of other new products at its first event of the year, including a new iMac and iPad.

The iMac has been given a revamp, with a new range of colour finishes and the introduction of the M1 chip for the first time.

The computer chip, which has been designed in house by Apple, gives devices a “gigantic leap forward” in terms of performance, with the tech company stating that products with the chip will be up to 85% faster.

The iMac also has a better display – a 24 inch 4.5K resolution retina displace and a new 1080p front-facing camera, the best ever seen on Apple’s desktop computer.

There is also a wider range of wireless keyboard options, including one with a built-in Touch ID sensor.

The power cable has been changed so the ethernet internet connector is on the power brick on the cable rather than on the back of the computer, so users have fewer cables on their desk.

Apple confirmed the iMac will start at £1,249 and will go on sale in the second half of May.

The event also confirmed the launch of Apple’s most “powerful iPad ever”, which also includes the M1 chip, giving it a substantial performance boost.

Imagining a privacy spectrum for technology companies would be reductive, but Apple and Facebook would be at opposite ends.

It comes with a screen enhancement, with the new range coming in two sizes – an 11 inch and 12.9-inch display.

The larger of the two iPads will come with what Apple calls its new Liquid Retina XDR Display, which brings high-quality screen technology relied on by professional videographers to the iPad for the first time.

The front-facing camera has been enhanced with a new feature called Centre Stage, which recognises where the user is and has the camera follow them if they move around the frame, as well as zooming in and out if others enter the shot to speak, ensuring everyone is correctly framed.

The 11-inch model will start at £749 and the 12.9-inch at £999, with both being available from the second half of May.

The tech giant revealed that it has redesigned its Podcasts app and announced a new subscription-based model would be coming to the app, where uses could pay podcast producers to access bonus content, get early access and listen without advert.

Apple TV has been upgraded, with a new remote and new colour balance feature which uses the owners iPhone and the iPhone 12 range will be available in purple.

Apple did not originally make an official announcement about its special event, but on 13 April Siri, the company’s voice assistant software leaked the information.

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