The MacRumors Show: iPhone XX? Next Year's Major Upgrades Will Change Everything

[MacRumors]

This week's episode of The MacRumors Show looks ahead to the 20th anniversary iPhone, the radically redesigned model that Apple is expected to launch in 2027.

Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos​

Apple's plans for the device's name remain unclear. The company skipped "iPhone 9" and moved straight to the iPhone X for the device's 10th anniversary in 2017, and it is widely expected to skip "iPhone 19" in the same way. Rumors have referred to the 2027 models as both the "iPhone 20" and the "iPhone XX" as placeholder names, and it is still possible that they will sit above the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max as a separate, higher-tier directly, even though they are more likely to replace them as usual. Apple has reset iPhone branding before with the iPhone Air, whose successor is expected to be the iPhone Air 2.

The 2027 iPhone is rumored to be the biggest redesign since the iPhone X. Apple is reportedly aiming for a near bezel-less design with curved glass that wraps around all four edges and a return to a glass back, in line with the single slab of glass that former design chief Jony Ive long described as a goal. The frame is said to be a thin polished band, potentially in a material other than the aluminum used on Apple's straight-edged models, with the display curving onto the sides rather than following one consistent curve.

Displays that curve down the sides can be prone to accidental touches, an issue seen on earlier Android handsets with waterfall edges, though Apple is expected to engineer the device to work with a case. The extent of the curvature, and how far the display appears to refract at the edges, is not yet clear.

Apple reportedly wants a front with no cutouts, but some of the under-display technology is unlikely to be ready in time, meaning some form of front-facing cutout is expected to persist. Current reporting points to a gradually shrinking Dynamic Island, Face ID components moving beneath the panel, and an under-display camera arriving last, since image quality still degrades when a lens sits behind the display.

Apple is also rumored to be revisiting solid-state haptic buttons, reviving the "Project Bongo" effort that reached prototype hardware years ago before being shelved. Reports have cited several potential motivations, including a cleaner frame with no moving parts, a reduction in the mechanical button failures that account for many AppleCare repairs, and additional internal space for a larger battery or additional haptic engine.

Apple is reported to be developing a custom image sensor that would replace the Sony sensors currently used across the iPhone lineup, following the company's move to bring its silicon, modem, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth chips in-house. The rear camera plateau is likely to remain, owing to the space required by the folded optics used for the telephoto lens.

The anniversary models are expected to share a second-generation 2-nanometer A21 chip, along with efficiency gains and a newer Apple modem. A 6,000mAh battery has appeared in some rumors, though it is unclear whether that figure is based on supply chain information.

Reverse wireless charging appeared in the same report and would let the iPhone top up accessories such as AirPods or an Apple Watch. The underlying hardware is already present, since iPhones can charge a MagSafe battery pack through their wireless coil, but Apple has never enabled the capability for other devices, a feature Samsung has offered on its phones for several years. Its viability on the anniversary model may depend on the larger battery and efficiency gains rumored for the device, given how much charge reverse wireless charging draws from the handset itself.

This year's iPhone 18 Pro models are rumored to be a more modest update, with the larger redesign reserved for the 20th anniversary model. It is expected to arrive in the fall of 2027, following the iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and iPhone Air 2 in the spring. The MacRumors Show has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips.

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Article Link: The MacRumors Show: iPhone XX? Next Year's Major Upgrades Will Change Everything

 

[HouseLannister]

It will definitely change everything for case designers. 🤣

 

[MadDawg2020]

Instead of a ‘major redesign’ for no particular reason other than it needs to be new and so they can collect more licensing fees from case designers, how about just refining everything while making an affordable phone that just works.
And instead of AI that NO ONE outside of Apple is asking for, just make a version os Siri that actually works the way Apple said it would work when first launched years ago.
And instead of obsessing over shaving microns off of the thickness, just make the phone a few nanometers thicker and put a larger battery inside that really does last all day!

 

[DunedinD]

That naming convention could get funny when they reach 30.

 

[alexandr]

FFS I was hoping everything would be moved under the display for this very special Double X model.

 

[tgurske]

The first thing all users do with their "ultra thin" phone is double the size of it by adding a case because Apple makes it ultra breakable and coats it with a slippery coating. So, since we are doubling the size anyway, how about they build it with a metal back and a raised front bezel to protect the glass, and then double the size of the battery since you now have extra room inside.

Now you have a phone that looks better since you can actually see it (not just the case), you have double the battery life, and you have a device that isn't as fragile as a glass Christmas ornament.

That would be game changing in my opinion.

 

[AlanMarron]

The first thing all users do with their "ultra thin" phone is double the size of it by adding a case because Apple makes it ultra breakable and coats it with a slippery coating. So, since we are doubling the size anyway, how about they build it with a metal back and a raised front bezel to protect the glass, and then double the size of the battery since you now have extra room inside.

Now you have a phone that looks better since you can actually see it (not just the case), you have double the battery life, and you have a device that isn't as fragile as a glass Christmas ornament.

That would be game changing in my opinion.

When I shop for a case, I always seek just the right amount of tackiness. Enough so that it doesn’t slip out of my hand but not so much that it doubles as a lint roller.

How about giving it the tacky case of a Newton? Whatever shortcomings the gadget had, it had a durable, matte black finish that looked like new when cleaned with rubbing alcohol.

 

[mattkowalski]

Expensive phone, mostly glass and (probably) incompatible with cases that give proper protection? Nope!

 

[IIGS User]

That naming convention could get funny when they reach 30.

iPhone NC-17

 

[CarAnalogy]

The first thing all users do with their "ultra thin" phone is double the size of it by adding a case because Apple makes it ultra breakable and coats it with a slippery coating. So, since we are doubling the size anyway, how about they build it with a metal back and a raised front bezel to protect the glass, and then double the size of the battery since you now have extra room inside.

Now you have a phone that looks better since you can actually see it (not just the case), you have double the battery life, and you have a device that isn't as fragile as a glass Christmas ornament.

That would be game changing in my opinion.

The phones seem more durable now. Notably the iPhone Air is astonishingly strong for as thin as it is. The displays are finally more durable as well.

But, you nailed it with the slipperiness. Every iPhone I've ever had will fly right off a table if it's not perfectly level, if it's not in a case.

It's like they've perfected the ultimate frictionless surface and decided to use it for something you're trying to hold on to.

 

[svish]

Looking forward to the 20th anniversary iPhone. Should be something special. Waiting to hear all the rumors! Will not be surprised if the price is $1499.

 

[BvizioN]

Please not these curved edges. Samsung tried that and it didn’t quite work.

 

[Baff]

Yay, Apple gets to recycle Android's headlines from 7 years ago:
"Waterfall displays: The latest design trend nobody’s asked for"
"Android 11 makes 'waterfall' curved-edge screens less frustrating to use"
"Android 11 will help stop curved displays from breaking your apps"

Cases don't work well, clear screen protectors don't work well.

Why?

 

[HadrianQ]

Saving up for iPhone 30, y’all! Midlife Edition!

 

[tgurske]

It's like they've perfected the ultimate frictionless surface and decided to use it for something you're trying to hold on to.

🤣

 

[iZac]

Like the Twentieth Anniversary Mac was the TAM - this could be the TAP 😉

 

[afalco]

The 20th anniversary iPhone should be called iPhone Dos Equis.

 

[klasma]

That naming convention could get funny when they reach 30.

They’ll use XXL. 😉

 

[Mousse]

The phone for the Most Interesting Man in the World: the iPhone Dos Equis.😉

"I don't always talk on the phone. But when I do, I prefer the iPhone Dos Equis."

 

[I7guy]

Instead of a ‘major redesign’ for no particular reason other than it needs to be new and so they can collect more licensing fees from case designers, how about just refining everything while making an affordable phone that just works.

There are some industries that lend itself to moving forward, some not as much. Cars, phones, fashion come to mind. While not every year is a break-out year in every industry, there are years where everything changes.

And instead of AI that NO ONE outside of Apple is asking for,

No one you know outside of apple is asking for AI I would like it and I can be patient until the right mix of reliability and functionality come along.

just make a version os Siri that actually works the way Apple said it would work when first launched years ago.

That’s on the way, but you have to accept AI.

And instead of obsessing over shaving microns off of the thickness,

That is exactly what makes Apple “Apple”, obsessing over things they find important.

just make the phone a few nanometers thicker and put a larger battery inside that really does last all day!

Apple is never going to be Android in that regard.

 

[p96]

Wouldn't edge refraction require breaking their precious illusion that the display is at the surface of the glass?

 

[theorist9]

Once it's in a case, can you even see the waterfall edges?

 

[Ethrem]

Looking forward to the 20th anniversary iPhone. Should be something special. Waiting to hear all the rumors! Will not be surprised if the price is $1499.

I'm expecting that to be the price of the 18 Pro Max this year already...

 

[Lerxt]

95% of people, if not 99% of people put their iPhone in a case because they are so fragile. Can they just make a phone that won't cost you $600 to repair a cracked glass back to do a battery change?

 

[JulianL]

I would be really happy to see reverse wireless charging for Apple Watch.

If you're travelling and you forget your USB charger or forget/break your USB cable it's not such a big deal to borrow one or find a shop that sells what you need even in a small town but if something happens to your Watch charger when you're travelling that's usually significantly more annoyance to find a replacement. Knowing that your phone can act as a charger in an emergency would be a very nice thing to have.

If such a feature was introduced then, depending on how quickly it could charge a Watch (I tend to charge when in the shower and then a 30 minute pot-up before bed) I might well use my iPhone as my standard way of charging my Watch when travelling so that I wouldn't need to pack a Watch charger at all.