Twenty years after the iPhone launch, will Apple surprise markets with a radical change?

Apple is preparing to mark the 20th anniversary of the iPhone’s launch in 2027 with a major redesign of its most famous phone, a move that could be the most significant since the introduction of the iPhone X in 2017.

The company unveiled the first iPhone on January 9, 2007, presenting a device that combined a mobile phone, an iPod, and internet connectivity via a multi-touch screen, before launching it commercially in June of that year.

According to the latest information reported by Mark Gurman from informed sources, Apple is still proceeding with the development of a new design that places greater emphasis on glass for the upcoming Pro editions in 2027, despite earlier reports suggesting the project had been canceled.

Information indicates that the models, internally known as V73 and V74, will feature glass on both the front and back panels, curving toward the sides and separated by a metal frame.

However, the more ambitious design, which relied almost entirely on glass, faced challenges related to joining the glass components and the feasibility of large-scale production, prompting Apple to scale back the concept while continuing with a less complex version. Recent reports suggest that the design has entered advanced testing phases and is largely stable, barring any unexpected obstacles.

The question of a fully screen-based design without notches remains unresolved, as leaks regarding Apple’s ability to hide Face ID and front-camera technologies beneath the display by 2027 are conflicting. Therefore, the anticipated surprise appears more likely to be a radical reimagining of the iPhone’s visual identity, rather than necessarily achieving a fully glass phone.