Apple rarely lets big milestones pass without doing something different. With the iPhone turning 20 in 2027, there has already been a lot of speculation about what the company might be planning. A new leak now adds a bit more detail, and at least on the display side, it suggests a noticeable shift from Apple’s usual approach.
According to Weibo tipster Digital Chat Station, Apple is working with Samsung on a custom display for the anniversary model. Two things stand out. The first is that the panel may drop the polarizer layer, which could help reduce thickness and improve efficiency. This is not entirely new in the industry, but it is something Apple has not done before on the iPhone.
The second detail is more visible. The display is said to use a quad-curved design, with all four edges slightly curved. Apple is reportedly fine-tuning the curvature specifically for this device, though it is still unclear how aggressive the curves will be.
What makes this interesting is Apple’s past stance. No iPhone so far has used a ‘curved display’ in the traditional sense. That said, the company has already been moving in this direction, to some extent. Starting with the iPhone 15 lineup, the edges became slightly more contoured for a better in-hand feel, and the iPhone 17 Pro models pushed that further with a smoother aluminum unibody design.
A quad-curved display paired with a flat middle frame, something we still see on a few Chinese flagships, could give the anniversary iPhone a more premium look. And if that does happen, it would not be surprising to see similar designs trickle down across Android devices soon after.
Apple is also rumored to be working toward an all-screen design by moving the Dynamic Island components under the display. That is easier said than done with current technology, though. For context, dummy units of the iPhone 18 Pro Max already point to a roughly 25% smaller Dynamic Island, and earlier leaks suggest at least part of the Face ID system could be shifting under the panel.
(Source: Digital Chat Station on Weibo)
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