In 2017, Apple celebrated the iPhone's 10th birthday with the iPhone X, the biggest redesign in the product's history. For the device's 20th anniversary, all the rumors indicate that the company is preparing another landmark redesign.
The commemorative "iPhone 20" model isn't expected until September 2027, but leaks have been piling up for months. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is already deep into its development, and the picture forming across multiple reports is of an iPhone that looks like a single, uninterrupted slab of glass. Here's what we're expecting:
- A quad-curved, all-glass design: The display glass reportedly curves away on all four sides, concealing the metal frame during normal use. Apple is said to be working with Samsung on an "equal-depth quad-curved" display to achieve the effect.
- Advanced OLED technology: 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, which reduces the thickness of the overall display stack, and lets more light through to improve brightness while reducing power draw.
- Under-display Face ID and camera: Apple is reportedly continuing to test hardware that would eliminate the final visible cutout from the front of the device, although whether the technology will be ready in time for a fall 2027 launch remains uncertain.
- Solid-state buttons: Apple is said to be testing haptic replacements for the Side, Volume, Action, and Camera Control buttons. The buttons could be integrated directly into the device's frame, with no actual physical movement when pressed, yet retaining a tactile responsiveness.
- Apple modem in the United States: Apple is developing modems that it hopes will outperform Qualcomm's own on speed and AI functionality by next year. We've already seen the C1 and C1X used in the iPhone 16e and iPhone Air, while the C2 on the iPhone 18 Pro may only be used outside the United States. An Apple-designed modem should come to the 20th-anniversary iPhone – a first for Apple's premium devices in the U.S.
- Custom Apple image sensor: Apple is said to be developing its own stacked image sensor to replace the Sony sensors it has traditionally used for the iPhone. Apple has reportedly already developed a working prototype. The sensor is said to use LOFIC technology, which would let each pixel store varying amounts of light and potentially reach up to 20 stops of dynamic range.
- A 2-nanometer A21 chip: The 20th anniversary models are expected to feature a second-generation 2-nanometer chip. With the upcoming iPhone 18 lineup widely expected to debut the A20 chip, the anniversary models would likely be powered by the A21.
- Silicon anode battery: Apple is reportedly exploring a new battery technology that uses a silicon anode capable of storing more lithium ions per gram, potentially delivering longer battery life without increasing the physical size of the battery.
- Mobile high bandwidth memory: Apple is rumored to be evaluating vertically stacked DRAM technology to improve memory bandwidth and boost on-device AI performance.
- Two sizes: The two anniversary models are expected to mirror the sizes of this September's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, with approximately 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays.
With all that said, we're still 12 months out, and Apple's plans shift constantly behind closed doors, plus features this ambitious have a habit of slipping a year or two. Under-display Face ID in particular has been "two years away" for about five years now.
Still, taken together, the leaks describe the most dramatic iPhone rethink since 2017. If even half of the features make it to the shipped device, the iPhone 20 should be worth holding out for. For everything we know so far, check out our dedicated guide.
