2027 iPhone rumor: Big design changes every year

Apple is about to introduce the ultra-thin iPhone Air, then iPhone Fold in 2026, and the 20th-anniversary upgrade in 2027 — marking three straight years of significantly different iPhone designs.

Apple’s iPhone release cycle has famously been in a tick-tick-tock state since the iPhone 3G. Those ticks went a generation or two longer in some cases, like with iPhone 16 looking very similar to each generation back to iPhone 12.

According to the Power On newsletter from Bloomberg, Apple could have a hot streak going for it in terms of new iPhone designs in the next three years. While each generation will feature mostly similar models to what we’ve seen previously, there will be at least one model in each year that is a significant departure.

First up is the iPhone 17 Air. It will be the originator of the new camera bar design, leaning heavily into it by being the thinnest, lightest model.

That thinness will come as a sacrifice to battery life, and it will likely feature Apple’s C1 modem. It’ll still fall into the standard iPhone category, so expect the A19 processor and slower USB-C port.

Next is the long-rumored iPhone Fold. It is expected in 2026 alongside the iPhone 18 lineup.

The iPhone Fold could finally arrive looking very similar to the Samsung Galaxy Fold. It would have an external display and a larger internal display that’s visible when opened.

While the device would look like an iPad mini that can fold close, it’ll retain a lot of its iPhone design standpoints. And since users need to be able to authenticate at any orientation or mode, Touch ID will make its return as well.

And finally, there’s the 2027 iPhone 20, which will likely be another anniversary edition similar to the iPhone X. Notice here too that Apple may skip the iPhone 19 name entirely, though there’s no telling if this will be iPhone 20 or iPhone XX at this point.

There’s not much known about the anniversary device besides a rumor about curved edges that blend in well with the Liquid Glass material introduced in iOS 26. Even so, it would be a notable design departure given years of relying on the flat-edged design introduced with the iPhone 12.

The more popular models through 2027 will likely be the more boring ones that retain older designs. That said, Apple having at least one new-looking model in each year could drive sales and ward off talks of Apple lacking innovation.

These devices will benefit from Apple’s work to revitalize its operating system and its push into Apple Intelligence. It’s early days yet for these upgrades, but they lay the foundation for Apple’s next decade of work and its next billion iPhones.