Apple reportedly plans to make a major redesign of its 20th anniversary iPhone, which is expected to be launched in September 2027.
According to Bloomberg, the company is developing a special professional model with more glass elements to mark its twenty years of existence. The company is also expected to launch a foldable iPhone with the redesigned Pro, but it is unclear whether this is the first or second iteration. (Currently, the report points to the 2026 foldable iPhone launch.) Apple remains the only major smartphone manufacturer without foldable devices.
Anniversary-focused strategies can also help revitalize iPhone sales, which have been sluggish in recent months and may suffer losses under new Trump administration tariffs.
Meanwhile, the upcoming iPhone 17 is now expected to be more similar to the previous Pro model. The iPhone Pro lineup seems to be largely the same since the 2020 iPhone 12 debut, when Apple introduced 5G compatibility, with changes mostly limited to color updates over time and rising to titanium on the iPhone 15 Pro.
Apple did not respond to a request for comment.
Watch the following: Rumors are not the iOS 19 feature of AI
Bloomberg said that while the iPhone 17 Pro is still similar to the 16 Pro, it will have a redesigned rear camera layout. The camera module is expected to maintain its three-lens setup, but is placed on a new panel that spans the entire width of the device.
Apple is also expected to launch a significantly thinner model, rumored to be called the iPhone 17 Air.
It is unclear how Apple will name its 20th anniversary iPhone, as the 2027 version will technically align with the iPhone 19 tag. As Apple tried these names, the pace of numbers changed over time, such as the launch of the iPhone 4 in 2011 instead of calling it the iPhone 5 (the iPhone 5 was launched in 2012). The company has previously adjusted naming conventions at milestones, such as skipping the iPhone 9 and unveiling the iPhone X logo to mark its 10th anniversary.
