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As the iPhone approaches its 20th anniversary, Apple is reportedly preparing for one of the most ambitious hardware overhauls in its history.
According to multiple leaks and reports, including details from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and The Information, the company is planning a revolutionary iPhone design and a host of futuristic product debuts – all slated for 2027.
iPhone: The “Mostly Glass, Curved” Future
One of the boldest moves in Apple’s pipeline is a complete reimagining of the iPhone’s form. Gurman reveals that Apple is developing a “mostly glass, curved iPhone” with no visible display cutouts. This design aims to create a unified, bezel-free appearance, offering users a fully immersive experience.
While the current iPhones already utilize a glass front and back with a metal edge, the 2027 model may go further, potentially featuring a continuous curved glass body, inspired by a 2019 Apple patent describing a device with a glass enclosure that “forms a continuous loop.”
Importantly, this futuristic iPhone will not follow the route of Samsung or Vivo’s curved-edge displays; instead, it aims for a sleeker, more integrated finish.
Under-Display Tech
Apple’s move toward an all-screen iPhone has been in motion for years. According to The Information, at least one 2027 model will integrate the front-facing camera underneath the display, removing the last visible interruption on the screen. This development follows Apple’s incremental steps toward hiding components beneath the display.
In 2026, Apple is expected to introduce under-display Face ID, likely in the iPhone 18 Pro series.
This would shrink the Dynamic Island, with the final step in 2027 being the full migration of the camera under the display.
Apple is said to be testing several engineering solutions to achieve this, including:
- Transparent OLED panels
- LTPO displays with selectively deactivating subpixels
- Optical waveguides for IR signal transmission
- IR-pass materials for invisible sensor zones
In parallel, LG Innotek is reportedly working on under-display cameras with a “freeform optic” lens array that maintains brightness and reduces image distortion — a crucial step toward preserving image quality in the absence of visible hardware.
Apple’s Broader Vision for 2027
The reimagined iPhone isn’t the only star of Apple’s 2027 lineup. The company is also rumored to debut:
- A foldable iPhone, possibly featuring under-display camera technology but no Face ID, instead relying on Touch ID embedded in the side button.
- Apple’s first smart glasses, set to rival Meta’s Ray-Ban collaboration, signify a major push into wearable AR tech.
These developments indicate Apple is experimenting with multiple display and biometric configurations, with some devices opting for Face ID and others streamlining with Touch ID, depending on design constraints.
Smarter Siri, Personal AI, and Home Robots
2027 could also be the year when Siri gets a major intelligence boost. Gurman suggests Apple may roll out a large language model (LLM)-powered Siri, capable of more natural and context-aware interactions. To support this, Apple is reportedly developing server-side AI chips, spearheaded by the same Israeli design team behind Apple Silicon.
Adding to the futuristic vibe, Apple may also introduce its first home robot, described as a tabletop AI assistant with “its own personality.” This concept aligns with earlier internal projects like Apple’s experimental robotic lamp and could reflect a growing ambition in personal robotics.
Celebrating 20 Years of iPhone
Whether Apple sticks with its traditional naming sequence (making the 2027 model the iPhone 19) or opts for a special name like “iPhone 20” to commemorate the anniversary remains unknown. But the significance of the year is unmistakable.
Just as the iPhone X in 2017 marked a turning point with Face ID and the removal of the home button, the 2027 iPhone seems poised to do the same, this time with a seamless, edge-to-edge glass design and cutting-edge under-display tech.
