Over the past few years, Apple’s iPhone releases have offered incremental improvements. A slight redesign here, some moderate camera improvements there, and so on and so forth. Still, Apple’s iPhone has remained incredibly popular and a money-making machine. During the last holiday quarter, for example, the iPhone alone generated nearly $70 billion in revenue for Apple. All the while, critics and tech pundits who have incessantly been shouting that “the iPhone has peaked” have been proven wrong time and time again.
The reason why Apple’s iPhone continues to impress is partially due to the fact that consumers today are holding onto their iPhones for longer than ever before. The end result is that most users aren’t looking at the iPhone 17 and comparing it to the iPhone 16. Rather, prospective users are looking at the iPhone 17 and comparing it to devices like the iPhone 11, 12, or 13. So, while iPhone improvements are admittedly incremental from year to year, those improvements are all the more drastic when compounded together. This, coupled with the stickiness of the iOS platform, is why Apple has managed to keep iPhone sales robust despite an avalanche of skepticism from naysayers
Apple’s upcoming iPhone lineup is intriguing
Looking ahead, Apple’s iPhone roadmap is more intriguing and exciting than it’s ever been. If you’ve been underwhelmed by the last few iPhone releases, there’s good news on the horizon. Over the next few years, Apple is poised to launch some of its most innovative and groundbreaking iPhone models yet. Indeed, it’s fair to say that upcoming iPhone models will arguably introduce a level of innovation we haven’t seen since Apple introduced the iPhone X back in 2017.
Now, you might be wondering: Why is it taking Apple so long to deliver a game-changing new iPhone? Well, the answer is that revolutionary products, by definition, don’t show up every single year. It’s what makes them so special when they do. It’s easy to forget that revolutionary new products take time, an ungodly amount of R&D, and typically involve design and testing schedules can sometimes stretch out for years. All that said, let’s take a closer look at why Apple’s upcoming iPhone roadmap is incredibly exciting.
iPhone Fold enters the fray
Without question, the most intriguing iPhone model on Apple’s product roadmap is a foldable iPhone. We’ve seen reports and rumors of a foldable iPhone for years, but it’s starting to look like the release of such a device is more a matter of when than if.
According to reports, Apple’s take on a foldable iPhone will be more akin to Samsung’s Galaxy Fold than the Galaxy Z Flip. In other words, Apple’s foldable smartphone will open up into a large-screened tablet style device as opposed to a flip phone. Consequently, it stands to reason that the selling point for Apple’s device will be more about productivity and entertainment than compactness.
Of course, it’s no secret that Apple typically doesn’t enter a new market unless it can deliver a best-in-class device. In other words, there’s a strong chance that Apple’s foldable iPhone will be decidedly better than anything on the market. To that end, a new report from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reveals that Apple’s foldable iPhone will not suffer from a creased display.
According to my latest industry survey, Apple has chosen Samsung Display (SDC)’s creaseless display design over its own internal solution to ensure mass production of the foldable iPhone in the second half of 2026.
The display metal plate is one of the key components for achieving a creaseless design. The main cause of creases in foldable displays stems from stress concentration due to repeated bending, which leads to material fatigue and permanent deformation. Metal plates help distribute and manage the stress generated during bending, reducing the risk of exceeding the material’s elastic limit and thereby minimizing crease formation.
This is promising news, to be sure. As intriguing as Samsung’s foldable smartphones are, they suffer from visible creasing after heavy use. Some Samsung users have even noticed a crease forming after just a few weeks.
Specs wise, little is known about the rumored iPhone Fold, save for rumblings that it will feature a 7.8-inch display. As for a release date, there are now reports pointing to a 2026 launch. It’s also possible that it may ship in 2027 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the original iPhone. Note that Apple typically tries to release new products to commemorate big anniversary dates. The two most notable examples include the 20th anniversary Mac released in 1997 and the redesigned iPhone X released in 2017 to mark 10 years of the iPhone.
iPhone 17 Air to arrive before the iPhone Fold
Before the iPhone Fold arrives, we can look forward to the iPhone 17 Air. Set for release later this year, Apple’s rumored iPhone 17 Air will reportedly be the thinnest iPhone ever. It will reportedly be 5.5mm thick. This would make it drastically thinner than the iPhone 6, which was 6.9mm thick.
What’s more, the iPhone 17 Air will be impressively light. Rumor has it that the device will weigh just 145 grams. To compare, note that this is even less than the iPhone SE 2, which weighs 148 grams. Other specs include a 6.6-inch 120Hz ProMotion display, a titanium-aluminum hybrid frame, Apple’s latest A19 processor, and 12GB of RAM. Put differently, the iPhone 17 Air will be closer to an iPhone Pro than to the entry-level model. One other rumor we’ve seen suggests that Apple’s ultra-thin iPhone will ship with the company’s C1 modem. Recall that the C1 modem is an Apple-designed modem that made its debut on the recently released iPhone 16e.
A video alleging to show what the iPhone 17 Air form factor looks like can be seen below:
The removal of the Dynamic Island
Last but not least, we have rumors that future iPhone models will completely eliminate the Dynamic Island. Specifically, all of the sensors, including the camera, will reportedly be embedded beneath the display. The end result is an all-screen iPhone.
According to reports, we may see this type of device as soon as 2027. And who knows, perhaps it will be the defining feature of the aforementioned iPhone Fold. Or, perhaps it will simply be a core feature of the regular iPhone 19 lineup.
Either way, it’s clear that the current iPhone design won’t be around forever. All told, with the iPhone Fold, the iPhone Air, and the removal of the Dynamic Island, Apple’s iPhone roadmap is incredibly strong and intriguing. If you’ve been bored by recent iPhone releases, the next few years will seemingly be much more exciting.
