iPhone 20 rumors: Apple may skip iPhone 19 for quad-curve anniversary edition

September 22, 2026

mock-up of iphone made entirely of glass over an illustration of blueprints

Apple finally revealed the new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max at its Sept. 9 "Surprise and Shine" event, alongside the foldable iPhone Duo.

But believe it or not, there are already credible reports and leaks floating around about a potential 20th anniversary "iPhone 20" arriving in fall 2027. If the rumor mill is correct, Apple will skip the iPhone 19 entirely, and this wouldn't be the first time Apple has gotten creative with numbering. The iPhone 20 would commemorate the 20th anniversary of the original model, which was released on June 29, 2007.

To mark 20 years of the iPhone, Apple has reportedly been prepping a major redesign that uses curved glass elements and potentially even a waterfall display.

If you're on the fence about upgrading to the iPhone 18 Pro, then you may want some idea of what next year's iPhone might look like. So, here are the latest iPhone 20 rumors.

iPhone 20: When will it come out?

First things first, the release date. Apple always launches its flagship iPhone models in September, and there's currently no reason to think that will change soon.

In other words, it's widely expected that this phone will be announced in early September 2027, followed a week or two later with an official launch. (For reference, the iPhone 18 Pro was announced on Sept. 9 and launches Sept. 18.) The 20th anniversary iPhone is also the perfect opportunity for Apple to do some weird, fun stuff with its signature device.

iPhone 20: What will it look like?

This is the big point of interest regarding the iPhone 20, and most of what we know dates back to leaks from last year. In 2025, there were multiple credible reports that the iPhone 20 model would undergo a major redesign that uses significantly more glass than the typical phone.

Bloomberg and The Information both reported in May of last year that it would have an all-glass, edge-to-edge display. Specifically, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the source of more Apple scoops than anyone else on the planet, predicted the iPhone 20 would be a "mostly glass, curved iPhone without any cutouts in the display," and feature "curved glass edges all around." That means curved glass wrapping around the edges of the device, and perhaps more importantly, a seeming lack of a notch or Dynamic Island cutout for the selfie camera.

Other reports point to curves around the four corners of the phone. Also in 2025, Korean outlet ETNews reported the 20th anniversary iPhone will have four-sided bending for a bezel-less full-screen experience.

However, other prominent leakers have thrown cold water on rumors of a radical, waterfall-edge display. On X, leaker Ice Universe said that despite the rumors, the iPhone 20 will not have a true curved display.

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And in 2026, Ice Universe speculated that "a true quad-curved display is unlikely" due to manufacturing challenges, suggesting Apple will opt for a "visual quad-curved" design.

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So, instead of a waterfall display with curved glass on the iPhone, we might get something more like the iPhone Air, with rounder corners and sides, plus a visual effect around the edges similar to what you see on the Apple Watch.

side by side photos of iphone air
Credit: CNET Group

We've seen wrap-around and waterfall displays on other devices like TVs, but a more sculptural, curved glass iPhone would definitely stand out in the mobile market.

iPhone 20: The latest leaks

Apple hasn't updated the display sizes for its iPhone Pro models since 2024. From the iPhone 16 to now, they've measured in at 6.3 inches for each Pro model and 6.9 inches for each Pro Max model. At least one source is indicating that the iPhone 20 will change that, while further shrinking the dynamic island.

A new report from leaker Digital Chat Station suggested that Apple will bump the display sizes and resolution for the iPhone 20 Pro models. Here are the rumored new display specs for those devices:

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  • iPhone 20 Pro: 6.41-inch display with 2,686 × 1,236 resolution

  • iPhone 20 Pro Max: 6.96-inch display with 2,912 × 1,340 resolution

Those each represent upgrades of about a tenth of an inch for each device's display size, with higher resolution on each, over the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models. That's not a huge change, but when combined with the functionally bezel-less displays that are rumored to grace the iPhone 20 models, there could definitely be a perception of a lot more screen real estate on next year's iPhone.

Do the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo tell us anything about the iPhone 20?

With the iPhone 18 Pro, Apple reduced the size of the Dynamic Island, and the iPhone Duo utilizes an under-display FaceTime camera that doesn't waste any pixels. It will be interesting to see which of these elements are carried forward into the iPhone 20. For what it's worth, the latest Digital Chat Station leak regarding display sizes also suggested Apple would maintain the hole-punch front camera from the 18 Pro models rather than using an under-camera selfie camera like the iPhone Duo.

Apple has clearly embraced curved glass and refracting light in its new Liquid Glass design language, so it would make sense if the iPhone evolved to match accordingly.

iPhone 20: New buttons!

Lastly, for now, leaker Instant Digital posted on Weibo late last year that Apple is working on "solid-state" (in other words, non-moving and non-mechanical) buttons for the iPhone 20. The unique feature here would be haptic feedback for power, volume control, and camera control. I could see this being somewhat controversial, like when Apple got rid of the home button, but we'll have to wait and see.

As soon as we learn more about the iPhone 19/iPhone 20, we'll be sure to update this post. If you want to be the first to know about new tech, science, and digital culture news, sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.

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