After years of more iterative, some might say ‘boring’ iPhone updates, Apple has major new designs coming soon. And one upcoming iPhone model, timed for the product’s 20th anniversary, looks set to make a long-time Jony Ive dream come true.
Apple’s goal for iPhone was always an all-glass design
Jony Ive is no longer at Apple, but his dream for the iPhone seems closer than ever to becoming reality.
Throughout the designer’s tenure at Apple, he repeatedly expressed a desire for the iPhone to eventually achieve a final state that represents its essence, appearing “like a single sheet of glass.”
This “single sheet/slab of glass” idea took a big leap forward on the iPhone’s 10th anniversary.
iPhone X offered a futuristic, edge-to-edge display and packed a variety of other upgrades.
Now, as we approach the iPhone’s 20th anniversary in 2027, it seems Apple will be ready with a fitting new iPhone model that completes what the iPhone X started.
There are several exciting new iPhone models on the horizon, including:
But what’s coming after those launches will get us as close as possible to that true Jony Ive vision.
In two years, a new iPhone Pro model is rumored to boast a truly all-screen design—with no bezels, notches, or camera cutouts at all.
iPhone 20th anniversary model looks set to fulfill Jony Ive’s dream
Mark Gurman was first to report that Apple had plans for a special iPhone model to mark the 20th anniversary. He said it would be “a bold new Pro model that makes more extensive use of glass.”
But this week, corroboration and new details emerged via ET News:
It is known that Apple will start negotiations on the 20th anniversary iPhone display soon. We are going to have a meeting with Samsung Display and LG Display to decide the application technology […]
4-sided bending display technology are being developed, so it is noteworthy whether they will be finally commercialized […] UDC is to hide the camera under the screen, and the four-sided bending is the implementation of a full screen without a bezel.
There are two noteworthy details from this report:
- the new iPhone’s display will wrap around all sides to create a bezel-free look
- and the camera will move below the display to remove any unsightly cutout or notch
This 20th anniversary model is expected to launch in 2027. Meaning, there’s still plenty of time for Apple’s plans to change.
It wouldn’t surprise me if Apple ends up needing to create an iPhone design that’s less ambitious.
But I have to think the company will do everything it can to debut this bold fulfillment of Jony Ive’s vision on schedule with the iPhone’s anniversary.
10 years ago, Jony Ive referred to the iPhone X’s timing as a wonderful coincidence.
But to mark year 20, there’s no doubt Apple’s design team hopes to ship the iPhone’s next evolution.
An iPhone that looks like just a single sheet of glass may finally be within reach.
What do you think of Apple’s reported plans for the 20th anniversary iPhone? Let us know in the comments.
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