Apple’s 20th-Anniversary iPhone Reportedly In Early Production Testing
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With Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) just over two weeks away, most of the buzz is on what the company is planning to show off for iOS 27. Still, that doesn’t mean there aren’t still plenty of reports circulating on Apple’s plans for its next iPhone models.
With the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max already locked in for a fall release , all eyes have been turning to what Apple is expected to do in 2027 — especially since next year will mark the 20th anniversary of the iPhone. While there’s some debate on how big of a deal Apple plans to make of that milestone, there’s reason to believe it has some interesting changes in store for us either way.
Although some have speculated that Apple would release a unique, “special edition” iPhone to mark its 20th anniversary, that seemed like a stretch from the start. Some confused the iPhone X for that in 2017, but in reality that device was simply the start of a new “Pro” generation of iPhone models, not a one-off commemoration. The so-called “iPhone 20” could end up being much the same, but by all reports we’ll be seeing more of an evolution of the iPhone Pro lineup, not something entirely new.
To be clear, as much as the pundits have been tossing around “iPhone 20” as the name (or even “iPhone XX” for the more whimsically inclined), Apple could just as easily stick with the program and call it the iPhone 19 Pro (and iPhone 19 Pro Max). We’ll probably have no solid idea on this until Apple takes the virtual stage in September 2027 to actually announce the new models. Everything else is just wild speculation mixed in with a bit of wishful thinking.
What We Do Know About the 2027 iPhone (Sort Of)
Since Apple begins the development phase of a new iPhone 12-18 months before its release, the timing is right for supply chain sources to be leaking details about what hardware changes we can expect. Some of these are very preliminary — things that, even if accurate, could be scrapped by Apple before final production — but some are beginning to take shape.
The most prolific of these rumors is that Apple is going with a quad-curved screen for the 2027 model. That’s backed up not only by multiple relatively anonymous (but consistent) supply chain leakers, but also actual supply chain reports on the parts Apple is requesting from companies like Samsung, which manufactures displays for the iPhone.
This week, Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station supplied additional confirmation, noting that the ”iPhone 19 Pro” series is already in evaluation testing. Note that, as usual, these comments are in Chinese, so we’re relying on machine translations here. Some of those render the comment as adding that it’s “in mass production,” but that would be highly unlikely at this stage; other translations that say it’s “in the mass production line” for evaluation are likely more accurate.
While there’s more than enough smoke around these quad-curved screen reports to give some credibility to the fire, it’s worth mentioning that this isn’t likely to be as substantial of a change as the word “curved” implies. Apple isn’t reverting to the crazy curved screens the 2010s; instead, this is about gently curving the edges to effectively eliminate the bezels.
Last month, another leaker, Ice Universe, explained how Apple was looking at a “Liquid Glass Display” with an “extremely subtle” curvature that incorporates other optical techniques to made the bezel visually disappear. This sounds similar to what the company did with the Apple Watch Series 7 in 2021, so it’s easy to see the parallels.
As much as these particular new display rumors are gaining steam, other early reports that the iPhone would finally get a notchless screen next year have been quashed by experts such as display analyst Ross Young, who concede that, while Apple might be able to reduce the size of the cutout, there’s still going to be one as it’s not quite ready to put all the cameras and sensors under the display just yet.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]
