If you want too see if its dead, just give the bark on a branch a
slight but hard scratch with you finger nail or a knife, and you
should see green under the bark.

If not its dead, or at least up to your scratch mark, and then work
closer to the main branch.

I have had a number of apple trees with there tips dead this year,
which I have put down to a late frost. But then the fruit at the
moment are like marbles, so thats lack of water. Also I have noticed
that some of the main trunks of some apple varities are splitting,
which does not bode well. As water and diease can then get in.

Why not visit http://www.balesfield.co.uk/gardhand.html