Apple’s 20th-Anniversary iPhone Might Have a Literal Edge Problem

While the jury is still out on how big of a deal Apple plans to make out of its 20th-anniversary iPhone model next year, reports are shaping up to suggest that it will feature some marked screen improvements, thanks to a new quad-curved display.

However, like the iPhone X, this might simply be the first step in ushering in a new era of iPhone design. A new report from South Korea’s ET News claims that Apple is already preparing an even better version for its 2028 iPhone model — the so-called “iPhone 21.”

That numbering is based on the notion that Apple will skip the number 19 for a big 20th anniversary release next year, effectively renumbering the entire lineup as it sort of did with the iPhone X. However, this remains entirely speculative. Only Apple’s executives know what they’ll call next year’s iPhone — and it’s entirely possible they haven’t even decided yet.

Nevertheless, “iPhone 20” and “iPhone 21” will do as placeholders until something better comes along.

Multiple supply chain sources have pointed to Apple making some big display changes in next year’s model, but many of these have turned out to be overly optimistic, and now it looks like the quad-curved display may be falling into the same category.

For instance, Apple has been working to perfect a notch-free screen for years, and some believed that it would deliver this to mark the iPhone’s 20th anniversary until reliable display analyst Ross Young threw a bucket of cold water on that notion. Now, the reports say that Apple might be able to reduce everything down to a hole-punch camera — something we’ve been hearing since the iPhone 14 — but it won’t be eliminating cutouts entirely.

Now, ET News suggests that the quad-curved display won’t be Apple’s “ideal” version either. While the company is still expected to introduce the new display on next year’s iPhone, it’s going to be a less capable version of the technology that might even include “the possibility of screen distortion” that wouldn’t be resolved until the 2028 model arises.

From a technical perspective, the new displays being produced right now use a magnesium-silver alloy in the cathode layers which carries a risk of screen distortion on the edges — where things bend — and a decrease in brightness.

In what seems like an unusual twist for Apple — a company that normally prides itself on the quality of its hardware — the South Korean outlet claims that it’s willing to accept this compromise to ensure it has the new quad-curved display ready for its special anniversary model, while it waits to have the more advanced and stable version perfected for 2028, which will use an indium-zinc oxide layer with a transparent electrode instead.

While we can’t entirely rule this out, it also seems odd that Apple would risk making a compromise like this just to release a special model for what is effectively an arbitrary anniversary date. In fact, it’s even more odd considering the high expectations most folks will have for a “20th-anniversary iPhone” model. After all, could you imagine if Apple had shipped a half-baked version of Face ID on the iPhone X?

The actual distortion may not be as serious as it sounds, in which case this so-called “compromise” could be much ado about nothing. However, the other possibility is that Apple could choose to skip the quad-curved display entirely on next year’s model and save the big redesign for the actual “iPhone 20,” which would be due in 2028 if Apple sticks to its sequential numbering.

[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.]