A sketchy rumor claims Apple will unveil a pair of third-generation AirPods earbuds along with a high-fidelity subscription tier for Apple Music users on Tuesday, May 18.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS:
- Apple may unveil AirPods 3 and Apple Music Hi-Fi on May 18.
- Sketchy information comes from a source with no track record.
- These would be unveiled via a press release, with no event planned.
AirPods 3 and Apple Music Hi-Fi coming soon?
YouTuber Luke Miani shared these findings with the AppleTrack website.
Don’t expect another Hollywood-style video presentation from Apple to unveil these products. According to Luke, Apple will quietly announce the next AirPods along with a high-fidelity Apple Music tier by publishing a press release on the Apple Newsroom website.
MacRumors adds:
Miani, who we reached out to, said that new ‌AirPods‌ could be announced on May 18 via a press release that could also include an ‘‌Apple Music‌ HiFi’ debut. In 2019, Apple released the all-new AirPods Pro via a press release on its website, so while it seems plausible, the information should be taken with a grain of salt.
Indeed, Luke has no track record in predicting Apple releases.
May 18
— Luke Miani (@LukeMiani) May 13, 2021
Rumored AirPods 3 features
The AirPods 3 should have shorter stems than the previous models and adopt an AirPods Pro-like design. It’s unclear whether the design would allow for sweat resistance. According to the rumors, the AirPods 3 won’t have higher-end features found in the AirPods Pro, such as active noise cancellation.
Apple Music Hi-Fi
As for Apple Music Hi-Fi, a recent rumor alleged that Apple would launch a lossless streaming tier priced at $9.99 per month. The report doesn’t explain whether Apple will remix its existing Apple Music subscription offerings because customers are currently paying $9.99 per month for the individual subscription.
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Code strings discovered in iOS 14.6 update hint at the possibility that Apple Music‌ Hi-Fi could require compatible hardware. For instance, the streaming tier may not work on older AirPods.
WWDC21 is looming on the horizon
Apple is holding its annual developer-only conference from June 7 through June 11 where the company will unveil major changes coming to its iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS platforms. We’re not keeping our fingers crossed for any hardware announcements at WWDC21 though.