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The iPhone's 20th birthday could bring the biggest screen in its history
Apple's 20th anniversary iPhone could mark its biggest redesign in years, led by a rumoured 7-inch display and major hardware upgrades.
While the iPhone 18 Pro series has yet to debut, various rumour mills are already at work uncovering details about what could be Apple’s most ambitious smartphone, the 20th-anniversary iPhone. To provide context, leaks about this highly anticipated device began surfacing two months ago, which revealed key details about the internal hardware and the overall aesthetic.
The spotlight has now shifted to the aspect people interact with most on their smartphones: the display. Suffice it to say, it is shaping up to be Apple’s biggest innovation in this area since the launch of the iPhone X.
To put it simply, the 20th-anniversary iPhone, or the iPhone 20, is rumoured to feature an immersive display closer in size to an e-book reader. But what exactly have tipsters revealed about the display of the 20th-anniversary iPhone? And is there anything else that warrants the hype around Apple’s soon-to-be most ambitious smartphone project? We will cover all this in this article.
The next iPhone may be all about the display.
Digital Chat Station, a prominent tipster on Weibo, revealed in a post that Apple is testing its largest display yet for its upcoming smartphone, featuring a 6.96-inch panel that could later be marketed as a 7-inch panel. They speculate that the iPhone 20 could be the first device from the Cupertino-based tech giant to feature this behemoth of a display. However, this rumoured iPhone will likely come in the same aspect ratio as the iPhone 17 Pro.
But that’s not the only thing Digital Chat Station revealed about the display of this ambitious iPhone project. They added that Apple is closely working with Samsung to custom-build the display. The brand is rumoured to be working on eliminating a polariser from the panel and curving the edges on all four sides to a radius of its choosing. This adjustment could potentially make the rumoured iPhone 20’s display more immersive and slimmer.
Apple has a history of implementing much-anticipated changes to its hardware after other smartphone manufacturers have already subjected their devices to these modifications and the dust has settled. That said, this strategy has mostly worked in its favour, giving it leverage to build a more refined version.
For instance, the Qi-certified wireless charging first appeared on the Lumia 920. Apple took that very concept and, through its iterative upgrade strategy, introduced MagSafe, which made wireless charging easier with built-in magnets.
Considering all this, I am excited to see how Apple will push the development of a better screen protector for its 20th-anniversary iPhone.
For those unfamiliar, protecting a curved display is not as simple as applying a regular tempered glass screen protector. Most aftermarket protectors rely on UV-cured adhesive to stick to curved screens. However, many manufacturers advise against using these adhesives. They can damage the display or other internal components.
If the rumours are true, it will be interesting to see whether Apple updates its Made for iPhone (MFi) program. New certification requirements or design guidelines could encourage accessory makers to develop safer screen protectors for this new display.
The display is only one part of the story. Several other leaks have also hinted at what Apple could be planning for its milestone iPhone.
The rumours go far beyond the display.
Reports suggest Apple is developing a custom HDR image sensor, enabling the 20th-anniversary iPhone to deliver greater dynamic range and preserve more detail in challenging lighting conditions.
The milestone iPhone is also expected to debut the next-generation A21 chip, which could be paired with high-bandwidth memory dedicated to Apple Intelligence features.
Battery life could improve as well. Apple is reportedly testing silicon-anode battery technology for the iPhone 20, which could deliver longer endurance without increasing the battery's size.
