This year’s iPhone Pro will be the best iPhone Apple has ever made. I mean, obviously, it doesn’t take an expert to predict that. The question, however, is whether it will be enough of an improvement on the 2025 handsets to be worth the money and the wait.
Apple’s annual hardware upgrades are often iterative, which means the differences between one generation and the next are relatively minor. If you’re wondering whether to grab an iPhone 17 Pro now or hang on for the iPhone 18 Pro, for example, the truth is that the latter probably won’t be worth the wait. The changes anticipated in the 18 Pro are unlikely to significantly impact the main feature set you get or the way you use your device each day.
That’s not the case every year, however. Every once in a while, Apple puts out a breakthrough iPhone model with core changes to its design and functionality. We saw that with the iPhone X. The overhauled phone instantly stood out, making the same-generation iPhone 8 and previous models look ancient in comparison. And we think something similar is going to happen in 2027.
For the iPhone’s 20th anniversary, Apple will reportedly introduce dramatic changes that kickstart the device’s upcoming era. If you’ve been planning to buy an iPhone 18 Pro this fall, these seven reasons will make you want to wait for 2027’s special model.
Bye-bye, bezels
Former Apple designer Jony Ive famously envisioned the iPhone’s ultimate form as a single glass slab. The 20th-anniversary iPhone could mark a major milestone by taking that concept to the next level and adopting a curved display for the first time.
According to rumors, the display’s four edges will all curve, virtually eliminating any visible bezels. The Liquid Glass design on iOS will likely be optimized to blend software elements with the hardware, resulting in realism and visual harmony. The phone won’t actually be a mere glass slab, of course, but it will look like one to those interacting with the screen.
Invisible buttons
Reports about the iPhone dropping its mechanical side buttons in favor of haptic ones have been circulating for years. These rumors could finally materialize with the 20th-anniversary iPhone thanks to the curved display.
Apple could incorporate solid-state buttons into the glass edges and upgrade its Taptic Engine to provide sensory feedback when clicked—similar to the iPhone 7’s Home button. This will further contribute to the iPhone’s futuristic feel and eliminate lint-collecting gaps.
Mahmoud Itani / Foundry
Apple’s most immersive display yet
The 2027 iPhone’s design innovations likely won’t be limited to the curved edges and haptic side buttons. The device will also reportedly feature a thinner OLED panel, increasing the brightness while reducing power consumption.
Better still, the top cutout could finally be eliminated by moving the Face ID sensors and front camera under the display. This would completely get rid of distracting elements and get us yet closer to Jony Ive’s “glass slab” vision. If Apple fails to overcome the associated technological challenges before then, it may settle for a smaller Dynamic Island (Dynamic Islet?) instead.
Power-full battery
Battery life is one of the most common concerns among smartphone buyers. The eSIM-only iPhone 17 Pro Max currently boasts the largest iPhone battery capacity, at 5,088 mAh. The 20th-anniversary model could push that number as high as 6,000 mAh. Apple has also been experimenting with silicon anode technology, which would extend the battery’s life while maintaining its size.
Speaking of batteries, the 20th-anniversary iPhone may finally implement reverse wireless charging support, letting you recharge compatible accessories—such as AirPods—by placing them on the phone’s rear surface.
Shooting star
Apple has long invested in the iPhone’s photographic capabilities, and its camera is often considered the best on certain social media platforms. For the 20th-anniversary iPhone, the company could debut its custom Lateral Overflow Integration Capacitor (LOFIC) sensor, significantly boosting HDR output.
The technology minimizes overexposure in bright areas and dark shadows in dim spots by letting each pixel store different amounts of light in a single photo as required. This would noticeably enhance iPhone photography by preserving more details and outputting more balanced shots.
Mahmoud Itani / Foundry
Speed and intelligence
It goes without saying that the 20th-anniversary iPhone will enjoy the usual annual chip upgrade and performance gains. Logically that means the unreleased A21 Pro, Apple’s second 2-nm iPhone chip. It could feature Mobile High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), which would accelerate data transfer between the RAM and CPU/GPU. HBM is also more optimized for on-device AI tasks, speeding up processing and reducing battery drain.
To further extend battery life, 2027’s flagship iPhone could feature an in-house Apple modem. The company has already included the C-series cellular chips in select devices, such as the iPhone Air. It’s believed that the company will roll these chips out to all of its iPhones once they surpass the performance of their Qualcomm counterparts next year.
Price? Not as painful as you might think
Because the 20th-anniversary iPhone is expected to be significantly more advanced than its predecessors, some customers may understandably be worried about a price hike. However, a fresh rumor suggests this special model will actually occupy the Pro tier in fall 2027’s iPhone generation, rather than a new, higher tier. While Apple may yet raise prices, the potential increase presumably won’t be drastic. With this year’s folding iPhone Ultra expected to cost around $2,000, the company will likely want to maintain clear price spacing between its different iPhone models.
