Come September 2027, and you are likely to be greeted with Apple’s new iPhone 20. Yes, you read that right – iPhone 20. The 20th anniversary smartphone from Apple to commemorate the 20th birthday of the iPhone will be the iPhone 20. Based on the previous rumours, the iPhone 19 isn’t happening at all, just like the iPhone 9.
Similar to Apple’s strategy for 2017, the brand is reportedly preparing for a monumental shakeup of its flagship smartphone line, centered around the launch of the iPhone 20 series in 2027. The decision, timed to coincide with the iPhone’s 20th anniversary, is expected to feature a radical design change and a bold numerical leap, according to a report citing industry analyst forecasts.
The 2027 iPhone is widely expected to be a major turning point in the device’s design history, similar to how the iPhone X was for the 10th anniversary in 2017. Industry sources, including Omdia senior researcher Heo Moo-yeol, suggest that Apple will likely skip the numerical designation of the iPhone 19, opting to jump directly to the iPhone 20. This should help Apple suggest how much of a technical leap is the 20th anniversary iPhone over the previous one.
iPhone 20 rumours: What is Apple cooking
With the iPhone 20, Apple is expected to redefine the iPhone for the next decade, just like the iPhone X did for this decade. Since Liquid Glass was a major talking point with iOS 26, Apple’s design team is expected to focus on all-glass aesthetics for the next-gen iPhone.
Previous reports hint at a bezel-less display, which, combined with smooth sloping lines, is intended to make the device appear as a seamless, single piece of glass when viewed from the front. This is similar to how the Apple Watch appears to be a single block of glass with smooth curves and lines.
The leak also mentions a potential rearrangement of the iPhone release schedule leading up to, and within, 2027. In 2026, Apple is rumoured to skip the standard iPhone 18 model, offering only the iPhone Air 2 and iPhone Pro models, alongside the highly anticipated first-generation iPhone Fold.
In 2027, the iPhone launch schedule is expected to be segmented. The more affordable models, including the standard iPhone 20 and a new budget-friendly iPhone 18e, may be introduced in the first half of the year.
The fall of 2027 would then be reserved for the flagship releases – the completely redesigned iPhone 20 Pro, the iPhone 20 Air, and the second-generation iPhone Fold 2. This launch strategy suggests a crucial change in Apple’s market approach, using the fall event to showcase its most technologically advanced and priciest devices.
