Rumor: 'AirPods 3' to launch alongside 'Apple Music HiFi' on May 18

A highly suspect rumor claims Apple is set to unveil a revamped entry-level AirPods product on May 18, and a lossless Apple Music streaming tier could be in tow.

Without citing sources, YouTuber Luke Miani in a tweet on Thursday claims Apple's third-generation AirPods will debut next Tuesday. In a statement to AppleTrack, he added that the earbuds could launch alongside a so-called "Apple Music HiFi" service. Both products will reportedly be announced in a press release.

Miani has no track record in predicting Apple releases, though his YouTube channel does cover the company and rumors surrounding future products. AppleTrack previously nailed AirPods Max's launch date a day before the headphones were revealed.

Rumblings that Apple will soon debut a next-generation AirPods device, tentatively dubbed AirPods 3, have grown to a low din in recent weeks.

Industry analysts began to offer tidbits of information regarding the upcoming AirPods model nearly a year ago and parts leaks of the rumored device have been floating around the web since December. Images of supposedly leaked AirPods 3 chassis and charging case parts surfaced online in March and April, revealing a design that borrows heavily from Apple's AirPods Pro.

As for the new Apple Music tier, a report earlier in May claimed a lossless streaming option would arrive within weeks. Targeting similar offerings from Spotify and Tidal, the high-fidelity Apple Music service is rumored to cost $9.99 per month.

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31 Comments

pumpkin_king 4 Years · 34 comments

About 3 years ago

Hoping the hi-fi rumor is true.

Beats 4 Years · 3073 comments

I wish Apple had music events for these announcements. With Beats and musicians.

bestkeptsecret 13 Years · 4289 comments

The HomePod is an ideal candidate for Apple Music HiFi, or whatever the streaming service will be called.
I hope Apple releases something to replace it. Once you've listened on the HomePod, the Mini is not an option.

fred1 11 Years · 1134 comments

No track record (for a few more days) is better than a bad track record, like Prosser.

thedba 12 Years · 790 comments

bestkeptsecret said:

The HomePod is an ideal candidate for Apple Music HiFi, or whatever the streaming service will be called.
I hope Apple releases something to replace it. Once you've listened on the HomePod, the Mini is not an option.

I beg to differ.
I recently downloaded a classical piece and did stream it to my HomePod.
It was in Apple lossless format.
I had also converted it to AAC to put on my iPhone and streamed back to HomePod as well.
Absolutely no difference whatsoever.

Point is in order to get the most out of lossless music you need specialized DACs, preamp/amp setups with dedicated speakers and a very quiet listening room in your house. Maybe then, some can actually “hear” the difference.
Gone are the days of 64 bit MP3s downloaded from Napster/Kazaa et al. Today’s 256 bit AAC is pretty damned good.