When you put your hand under one and lift slightly it should simply drop away. I would have thought it was too early to have ripe apples yet.

The other answer is that they drop off and the slugs get there before you do!!!!!

We have apple trees and they're not normally ready to harvest until late August/early September.

Same day as I answered this question rather flippantly; an apple on my Discovery tree, an early variety, looked ripe; so I did the hand under and raise test, it came off in my hand. It was pink and had a little bit of brown discolour near the stalk. Cut open, it was nearly all brown inside! It does make me wonder why I bother with these small trees. Either they have no apples at all. Or get so overloaded there is extra work thinning out. They are grease banded for codling moth.....messy job. All very frustrating.