The 20th Anniversary iPhone Could Feature Apple's Most Futuristic Design Yet

Each new iPhone generation delivers the most advanced mobile technology Apple can offer, including chip and camera advancements, new display innovations, and battery life improvements. The design generally stays the same for multiple years, with Apple tweaking it only slightly each year. The iPhone 17 series delivered the first major redesign in years, including the ultra-thin iPhone Air model. It's paving the way for even bolder iPhone designs that may culminate in the 20th anniversary iPhone that Apple should unveil in 2027. Informally called iPhone 20, the device may deliver Apple's most futuristic design yet, an all-screen phone with curved edges and no cutouts. These claims have appeared in various rumors in the past, hinting at Apple's early work on technologies required to make the iPhone 20 vision happen. A new report from Korea suggests that Apple's iPhone 20 prototyping may be advanced enough to allow LG Display to start major preparations for supplying a bezel-less iPhone panel unlike anything on the market.

A report from Dealsite says that LG Display is investing 400 billion won ($273 million) in new production lines that would serve the iPhone 20 exclusively. LG is already ordering the necessary equipment from suppliers. The iPhone 20 display technology is supposedly so different that LG has to modify existing lines to accommodate Apple's needs. The report also notes that the investment is significant, as LG may ready 10 production lines for Apple. On the other hand, Samsung Display, which is Apple's main supplier of OLED screens for the iPhone, is focusing on the foldable iPhone set to launch next year. If it's also preparing to manufacture the new curved iPhone 20 display, those plans have not leaked.

The new report says that Apple's "monolithic" four-sided display is a different concept than the Edge displays Samsung used in previous years. Samsung has been the main promoter of smartphones with curved display edges, but the company abandoned that technology years ago in favor of flat screens. To achieve the iPhone 20's bezel-less design, screen vendors like LG will have to bend the circuits currently found in the bezel area on smartphone displays. The Thin Film Encapsulation (TFE) layer that protects the OLED panel from exposure to moisture and oxygen has to be even thinner.

The iPhone 20's all-screen design requires two other display innovations related to the cameras. The Face ID system and the selfie camera will both have to be placed under the screen to achieve the all-screen effect Apple wants. Interestingly, other rumors tease that Apple will be testing these display innovations as soon as 2026. The iPhone 18 Pro models may feature a smaller Dynamic Island, as some Face ID components will be mounted under the OLED panel. Separately, reports say the foldable display in Apple's upcoming iPhone Fold model will feature under-display camera tech. If successful, these technologies may converge into a single project, the iPhone 20's foldable display.

While the report makes it clear that Apple's quad-curved iPhone 20 display will be unique in the industry, it's unclear exactly how curved the four edges will be. A previous report claimed that the iPhone 20's OLED panel will stay flat, and the glass cover on top of it will curve slightly around the edges, achieving an effect similar to the Apple Watch display design.

The iPhone can't be designed in curved screen. Don't believe such rumors.
Apple has explicitly informed its suppliers that it will not adopt curved screens, At most, it may feature a "visual curve" effect—similar to the edges of an Apple Watch display, where the panel remains...

— PhoneArt (@UniverseIce) August 25, 2025