Apple Preparing ‘Major Shake-Up’ for 20th-Anniversary iPhone

Apple is preparing “a major shake-up” for the iPhone’s 20th anniversary in 2027, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports.

The overhaul is expected to include a foldable iPhone, a project that has reportedly been in the pipeline for years, and a new Pro model that makes “more extensive use of glass.” But on the flip side, consumers are unlikely to see radical changes to the iPhone before then.

Gurman predicts that Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro “will look a lot more like the 16 Pro than anticipated.” He adds that the front of the iPhone 17 will look similar to its predecessor, though the rear camera will sit on “a new panel that spans the width of the phone.”

The iPhone 17 Pro reportedly won’t have a two-toned back, and the expanded camera area will be the same color as the rest of the device. “The iPhone 17 Pro isn’t a major departure from current models,” Gurman says.

Based on Apple’s past releases, the iPhone 17 lineup, including the iPhone 17 Air, is expected to land in September. But even if the iPhone 17 looks similar the iPhone 16, the Apple rumor mill has leaked hints about plenty of under-the-hood changes.

We’ve seen other analysts peg a folding iPhone for release in late 2026 or 2027. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo estimates the potential cost of the new iPhone at $2,000 to $2,500, broadly comparable to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6, which was priced at just over $2,000 at launch.

Apple’s foldable ambitions have faced numerous issues. In February 2024, The Information reported that Apple was working on foldable iPhones but struggling with durability issues. They were reportedly planned for a 2025 release alongside the iPhone 16 or possibly the iPhone 17, but that timeline ultimately slipped by due to technical difficulties.

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