While iPhone watchers have been eagerly awaiting this year’s update to see just how different the new models will be, a new report throws some cold water on those sky-high expectations. As it turns out, the real big change isn’t coming until the iPhone’s 20th anniversary in 2027.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, writing in his weekly Power On newsletter, Apple’s big iPhone overhaul is still two years away, now targeted to mark 20 years of the iPhone. Gurman reports that two brand-new iPhones will make an appearance in 2027—Apple’s first folding phone and “a bold new Pro model that makes more extensive use of glass.”
Of course, 2027 will actually be when the iPhone 19 is due, but we’ve been here before. Remember, the Phone’s 10th anniversary, which saw the launch of the iPhone X, was also the year of the iPhone 8, but Apple launched the iPhone X as a special edition followed by the iPhone XS, and the iPhone 9 was forever lost to history.
Apple has been rumored to release a folding iPhone for many years, but in recent months rumors have suggested that it’s far along in the development process. Just last month, it was reported that Apple had developed a LiquidMetal hinge to help reduce the appearance of a crease in the center of the screen.
As far as the iPhone 17, Gurman says it will represent “more of a revamp” than the iPhone 16, “will appear quite similar” to the current iPhones. So if you really want something different, it looks like you’ll have to wait yet another two years.