UPDATE: Apple has announced the introduction of Apple Music spatial audio with Dolby Atmos and lossless audio to its entire catalog at no additional monthly charge. However, AirPods 3 has not been announced.

While it is always best to approach leaked information with a critical eye, the latest AirPods 3 launch date rumor is hard to believe.

As reported by AppleTrack and originally tipped off by YouTuber Luke Miani, the AirPods 3 will likely be announced on May 18, just a couple of days from now.

Here is why we are skeptical: AppleTrack is more of an aggregator of leaked information than a source of leaks, but Miani has no track record of providing insider information, much less information that later turns out to be accurate.

Second, a mid-May launch would contradict almost everything else we have heard about the AirPods 3 launch date; analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, whose AppleTrack leak accuracy is 75%, suggests that the AirPods 3 are not even in mass production yet. He also suggests that the AirPods 3 is not even in mass production yet.

We believe the AirPods 3 launch is getting much closer. And while it would seemingly make more sense for Apple to announce its next big headphone release at an event like WWDC 2021, both the AirPods 2 and AirPods Pro had much more humble launches via press releases.

Miani apparently told AppleTracks that Apple would also reveal AirPods 3 this way, alongside the launch of the new Apple Music Hi-Fi service. This is rumored to offer lossless and high-res music for the same $9.99/month.

This is plausible enough, and a double-header of audio releases makes a lot of sense. Apple is currently teasing that an official Apple Music announcement will be made soon, so it is at least possible that Apple Music Hi-Fi will indeed launch on May 18.

For the AirPod 3, however, this date seems a bit too early, based on what we have heard from more reliable sources; Apple's regular source, LeaksApplePro, has confirmed that Apple Music Hi-Fi will be unveiled on May 18, while Apple Music Hi-Fi will be released on May 18, AirPods 3 will not be revealed; LeaksApplePro has a mixed record, but has recently correctly named products launched during Apple's April event.

If announced on May 18, Apple would be competing with Google I/O 2021, which begins the same day. Then again, Apple has shown that it does not care what its competitors do.