For the 10th anniversary iPhone that came out in 2017, Apple introduced the iPhone X with Face ID, notch, and minimized bezels, providing more display space than ever before. The 20th iPhone anniversary is approaching and Apple wants to take the iPhone X design even further.
We're two years away from the 2027 iPhone, but it's tough for Apple to keep major changes under wraps. We've rounded up all the rumors that we've heard about the 20th anniversary iPhone so far.
Bezel-Free Design With Curved Display
Apple's longtime goal has been an iPhone that looks like a slab of glass with no cutouts and no bezels, and that might become a reality in 2027.
Apple is supposedly working on a display that curves down around all four edges of the device for a borderless visual experience. There would be no bezels with a display that wraps around the iPhone's frame. That kind of design would be delicate and might restrict the kind of cases that could be used, but Apple has started improving the durability of the iPhone. This year's models use Ceramic Shield 2, which is more resistant to scratching and breakage.
Samsung did displays with curved edges for its Galaxy smartphones for several years, but its designs were never entirely bezel-free. Samsung ditched the curved look with the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
If Apple does go with the curved display, we could get an iPhone that resembles a flat slab of glass.
Under Display Face ID and Camera
To make the all-glass design happen, Apple needs to get rid of the Dynamic Island and the cutout for the front-facing camera. Rumors are mixed on whether that's going to happen.
Display analyst Ross Young said that Apple won't have under-display Face ID ready to go for a 2027 iPhone, but other leakers think it's possible. If Apple can't get everything under the display, we may see under-display Face ID and then a small hole-punch cutout on the front for the front-facing camera.
OLED Improvements
Apple is planning to use a brighter, thinner OLED panel for the 20th anniversary iPhone. Rumors suggest that Apple will adopt Samsung OLED displays with Color Filter on Encapsulation (COE) technology. COE displays remove the polarizing film from an OLED panel, applying the color filter directly onto the encapsulation layer of the display.
The technique reduces the thickness of the overall display stack, and it lets more light through to improve brightness while reducing power draw. Reflections are harder to deal with when there's no polarizing film, but in this year's iPhones, Apple added a new anti-reflective coating that could be improved for future versions of the iPhone.
With deeply curved edges, Apple also plans to add a crater-shaped light diffusion layer that will provide uniform brightness across the display.
Camera Improvements
Apple might adopt a custom HDR sensor for better dynamic range for the Fusion camera. This would join improvements rumored for the iPhone 18 models like a variable lens aperture.
The upgraded sensor would be able to capture detail in bright highlights and dark shadows in a single frame, for up to 20 stops of dynamic range. That would be comparable to a high-end cinematic camera.
An Apple-Designed Modem Chip
So far, Apple has used its C1 and C1X modems in the iPhone 16e and the iPhone Air, but the company's plan is to bring its modem technology to the entire iPhone lineup. Apple is aiming to have modems that outperform Qualcomm modems by 2027, which is coincidentally the year we're expecting the 20th anniversary iPhone.
Apple-designed modems are much more power efficient than Qualcomm modems due to Apple's ability to better integrate the different hardware components in the iPhone. Apple expects to outperform Qualcomm in speed and AI functionality in 2027, and an Apple modem will also bring a major efficiency boost for better battery life.
A-Series Chip
Apple could transition to smaller, faster, and more efficient 2-nanometer chips with the iPhone 18 lineup, but the 20th anniversary models would likely use a second-generation 2-nanometer chip. The iPhone 18 models are expected to get A20 chips, so the iPhone 20 models could get the A21.
Apple chipmaker TSMC is already working on a 1.4-nanometer node, but it won't be ready until 2028 at the earliest.
No iPhone 19
The iPhone 17 came out in 2025 and we're expecting the iPhone 18 line in 2026. The iPhone 19 in 2027 would be the next logical step, but Apple is probably going to skip the iPhone 19.
In 2017, Apple released both the iPhone 8 and the iPhone X with no iPhone 9, and in 2027, we'll probably transition from the iPhone 18 to the iPhone 20, the iPhone XX, or whatever else Apple decides to name the anniversary iPhone.
Foldable iPhone
While Apple has been targeting 2026 for the first foldable iPhone, we've recently been hearing rumors that there might be delays. A Japanese analyst firm said earlier this month that the first foldable iPhone could be delayed until 2027, which would mean a launch during Apple's 20th anniversary.
Launch Timing
The first-generation iPhone was announced in January 2007 and then launched in June 2007, so technically the iPhone's 20th anniversary will happen on June 29, 2027. Apple isn't likely to debut a new iPhone outside of the September timeframe though, so we're still expecting the 20th anniversary iPhone to be released in September 2027.
It's possible that Apple will announce the iPhone earlier in the year or hint at a 20th anniversary device, but that didn't happen with the iPhone X and it simply launched in September as normal.
Article Link: iPhone XX? 6 Features Rumored for Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone
