Here's What Apple's iPhone Could Look Like Every Year Through 2030

[MacRumors]

Earlier this week, reputable display analyst Ross Young of Counterpoint Research reignited discussion around recent reports about the display changes we should expect for next year's iPhone 18 Pro, and perhaps more notably, broader changes coming to the 20th anniversary iPhone in 2027 – as well as what lies ahead for Apple's flagship device for the rest of the decade.

Contradicting a report by The Information, which suggests next year's iPhone 18 Pro models will come with a small hole cutout in the top-left corner to accommodate the front-facing camera, Young claims the premium devices will instead have a narrower Dynamic Island, owing to Apple moving some Face ID components under the display.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has also said that Apple will shrink the size of the Dynamic Island on at least some iPhone models launching next year, meaning there are now multiple sources who believe that iPhone 18 models will still have a smaller Dynamic Island rather than only a front camera hole.

As for the 2027 iPhone, Young believes that Apple's 20th anniversary device will continue to feature the smaller Dynamic Island. This contradicts recent claims by Gurman that the device will feature a truly uninterrupted display with no cutouts.

Adding intrigue to how things will unfold in the coming years, Young predicts that in 2028 Apple will put all Face ID components under the panel, leaving only the selfie camera as a hole punch-style cutout in the top-left corner of the display – reminiscent of the design The Information report said would arrive in next year's Pro models.

As for the mythical all-screen design, Young doesn't expect Apple to achieve such a feat until 2030 – a full three years later.

iPhone's predicted display evolution from 2025-2030, per Ross Young (Image: Filip Vabroušek)​

Young has since said he is "pretty confident" in his predicted display roadmap for the iPhone through 2030, and developer Filip Vabroušek has again stepped in to help us visualize the device's evolution over the next five years. Young has also given the image his thumbs-up.

Notably, Vabroušek's image merges two rumors by incorporating Gurman's separate claim that Apple's 20th anniversary iPhone will introduce curved glass edges and extraordinarily slim bezels. Young's sign-off on the image does not indicate that he agrees with Gurman's claim – only that he has no information about it one way or the other.

What are your thoughts on the alleged evolution of the iPhone through 2030? Confused? Disillusioned? Apathetic? As always, let us know in the comments.

Article Link: Here's What Apple's iPhone Could Look Like Every Year Through 2030

 

[m1mini]

Apple will never have a hole punch camera in either the left or the right side of iPhone. It MUST be in the middle, any other placement looks plain stupid.

 

[mozumder]

Would rather have a higher fidelity front camera than no hole. If covering the lens with the display reduces picture quality, I don't want it.

Camera picture quality should be the higher priority. Always.

 

[MRSugarD]

Camera hole in the corner doesn‘t look like Apple. Just keep the Dynamic Island until the all-screen design is ready.

 

[TechWhisperer]

Change for the sake of change.

 

[TechRunner]

So in 2031 the phone will be invisible. Sign me up!

 

[stocklen]

Anyone miss the days when Rumours were just rumours and it was fun to see what next September's announcements would bring?

"heres the next 5 years phones" is pushing the crystal ball even for macrumors.

 

[zarmanto]

... Confused? Disillusioned? Apathetic? ...

None of the above: more like, mildly interested and maybe somewhat skeptical.

My thoughts are, Apple desperately wanted to make that 20th anniversary model be the first release of a true full screen display. In the absence of components which meet their stringent quality controls, it may be that they're choosing to settle on an edge-to-edge display as the differentiator for that model instead. Suggesting that in 2027, there will be only one model with the wrap-around screen and glass edges; the rest of the lineup could plausibly continue with the traditional metal edges -- much the same way that the iPhone X broke away from previous designs.

 

[Porco]

reputable display analyst Ross Young of Counterpoint Research

As for the mythical all-screen design, Young doesn't expect Apple to achieve such a feat until 2030 – a full three years later.

…by which time he’ll be renamed Ross Youngish. Only time will tell what his final form, Ross Elderly, will be able to predict.

 

[klasma]

Apple will never have a hole punch camera in either the left or the right side of iPhone. It MUST be in the middle, any other placement looks plain stupid.

How about left AND right, for spatial selfies?

 

[Biro]

The phone in the image looks radioactive. 🤣. More seriously, I wonder how many people will inadvertantly trigger commands or open apps because of the curved glass edges and super-thin bezels. Curved glass edges were a thing for a while in the Android world. Not so much anymore. But I will admit they look cool.

 

[Draugas Debilas]

I have 14 Pro Max. I will upgrade when it brakes.

 

[tmmacops]

So, in 3 years it’ll have a punch hole like every other phone on the market? Not an Android fan at all, but really?

 

[CharlesShaw]

Fingers crossed, this is what my iPhone will look like every year through 2030.

 

[BJMRamage]

Is there a difference in 2028 and 2029 images?

seems odd to go back to glass/screen edges like Android/Samsung had years ago

 

[pcd213]

I’m interested to learn if the 2027+ year designs will bring back curved sides of the iPhone’s metal exterior (similar to the iPhone X) or if the flat sides of the current design will somehow remain.

 

[ItsASpider]

Good to see Apple will have caught up in 3 years with budget smartphones from the late 2010s with only needing a circular cutout.

 

[svish]

Disappointing to hear that a full screen iPhone might not happen for the 20th anniversary. But then I think Apple might have a smaller dynamic island for 2026 & 27 then 2028 to 2031 a hole cut out. 2032 could bring the full screen iPhone with no cut out at all and FaceID and camera under the screen.

A lot can change in between. The 17 Pro models were supposed to have under screen Face ID. Looking forward to all the rumors.

 

[EugW]

If this is accurate, it looks like we are on the wrong update schedule. I’m updating to the 2025 17 Pro Max and my wife will likely get the 2027, and then I will upgrade again after four years in 2029.

Then again, I’ll be pleased if I get a 48 MP Fusion telephoto this year, for a set of “optical” zoom options of 0.5X / 1X / 2X / 3.5X / 7X for the 17 Pro Max camera.

 

[cocky jeremy]

I have 14 Pro Max. I will upgrade when it brakes.

Just get new brake pads and you're good for another 50,000 miles.

 

[xaqt93]

Apple will never have a hole punch camera in either the left or the right side of iPhone. It MUST be in the middle, any other placement looks plain stupid.

I 100% agree with this. I would be so upset if Apple did this. It needs to be centered and I really don’t think Apple would do something like this. But I have said that before when it comes to Apple. I never thought we would get a task bar on the iPad. Haha. So who knows…

 

[wikiverse]

seems odd to go back to glass/screen edges like Android/Samsung had years ago

Does it?

Switching to curved glass is a great opportunity for Apple to sell new cases and screen protectors that don't actually protect the curved screen, sell apple care insurance products and charge for screen replacements when they inevitably break.

 

[JapanApple]

This is one of the worst articles I’ve read recently here or at least the most comical.

 

[nfl46]

This will be so disappointing, if true.

 

[iMattPro]

The cover art for this article, showing the screen wrapping over the edges, is the ONLY ACCEPTABLE use-case for "folding glass" in a smart phone. Period.