202: iPhone XX? Next Year's Major Upgrades Change Everything

This week's episode of The MacRumors Show looks ahead to the 20th anniversary iPhone, the radically redesigned model that Apple is expected to launch in 2027.0:00 Introduction1:51 What Will Apple Call the 20th Anniversary iPhone?5:03 Is It Time to Abandon iPhone Numbers?7:29 Sponsor: Shopify8:44 The Biggest iPhone Redesign Since iPhone X14:07 Under-Display Technology and the End of Dynamic Island18:22 Haptic Buttons and Apple’s All-Glass Vision22:03 Apple’s Custom Camera Sensor24:34 The Ideal iPhone and the Future of Foldables29:20 Battery Life, Denser Batteries, and Reverse Charging36:02 Why Apple’s Charging Ecosystem Needs an Overhaul38:14 Apple Needs to Reinvigorate Its AccessoriesApple's plans for the device's name remain unclear. The company skipped "iPhone 9" and moved straight to the iPhone X for the handset's 10th anniversary in 2017, and it is widely expected to skip "iPhone 19" in the same way. Rumors have referred to the 2027 models as both the "iPhone 20" and the "iPhone XX" as placeholder names, and it is still possible that they will sit above the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max as a separate, higher-tier directly, even though they are more likely to replace them as usual. Apple has reset iPhone branding before with the iPhone Air, whose successor is expected to be the iPhone Air 2.The 2027 iPhone is rumored to be the biggest redesign since the iPhone X. Apple is reportedly aiming for a near bezel-less design with curved glass that wraps around all four edges and a return to a glass back, in line with the single slab of glass that former design chief Jony Ive long described as a goal. The frame is said to be a thin polished band, potentially in a material other than the aluminum used on Apple's straight-edged models, with the display curving onto the sides rather than following one consistent curve.Displays that curve down the sides can be prone to accidental touches, an issue seen on earlier Android handsets with waterfall edges, though Apple is expected to engineer the device to work with a case. The extent of the curvature, and how far the display appears to refract at the edges, is not yet clear.Apple reportedly wants a front with no cutouts, but some of the under-display technology is unlikely to be ready in time, meaning some form of front-facing cutout is expected to persist. Current reporting points to a gradually shrinking Dynamic Island, Face ID components moving beneath the panel, and an under-display camera arriving last, since image quality still degrades when a lens sits behind the display.Apple is also rumored to be revisiting solid-state haptic buttons, reviving the "Project Bongo"effort that reached prototype hardware years ago before being shelved. Reports have cited several potential motivations, including a cleaner frame with no moving parts, a reduction in the mechanical button failures that account for many AppleCare repairs, and additional internal space for a larger battery or additional haptic engine.Apple is reported to be developing a custom image sensor that would replace the Sony sensors currently used across the iPhone lineup, following the company's move to bring its silicon, modem, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth chips in-house. The rear camera plateau is likely to remain, owing to the space required by the folded optics used for the telephoto lens.The anniversary models are expected to share a second-generation 2-nanometer A21