Apple reveals iPhone 12 event – but does the invite hide a secret?

It's finally here. After weeks of will-they/won't-they speculation, Apple has finally announced the dates of its next event, where it seems almost a given that we'll see the brand new iPhone 12. But the company is rumoured to be announcing some other products at the same time – and one could be hiding in plain sight on the invitation.

Apple yesterday announced that the event will take place on Tuesday 13 October (that's halfway through Amazon Prime Day – next week is going to be a busy one), with an invitation announcing "Hi, Speed". (Geddit?) Like other Apple event invites, this is an abstract and colourful affair – but one Apple leaker thinks the circular design could actually be showing off a brand new accessory. 

Renowned leaker Jon Prosser has been sharing renders of AirTags for a while, revealing a small, circular device featuring a large Apple logo (naturally). These are expected to use ultra-wideband technology for location tracking. After receiving his invite, Prosser took to Twitter to point out the resemblance. 

There's no denying the similarity, and this could well be a sign that Apple is planning to announce AirTags at next week's event. Indeed, it isn't unlike the company to hide messages in its invites. In retrospect, the title of Apple's 'Time Flies' event last month was a big clue that we were in for a new Apple Watch ('time') and iPad Air ('flies').

But we can't help but notice that the circular design also resembles a second rumoured accessory. Last week we reported that Apple is working on a 'mini' version of its ill-fated AirPower wireless charger, and it also looks rather similar to the central circle in the invite's design.

Whether we'll get AirTags, AirPower, both or neither remains to be seen. Whatever happens, we've no doubt it'll be the iPhone 12 taking centre stage at next week's event. If you can't wait until next week (hey, we're not here to judge), you can get hold of one of the very best camera phones by checking out today's best iPhone 11 deals below. And don't forget to see what deals are available as part of Apple Amazon Prime Day. 

Read more:

• Instagram's new icons are a glorious blast from the past
• iPad 2020 review
• Apple's 2020 iPad Air is giving the iPad Pro a run for its money