Key takeaways
- For the iPhone’s 20th anniversary in 2027, leaks describe an all-glass iPhone 20 Pro with a display curved on all four sides, under-display Face ID, solid-state buttons, and Apple’s own modem and camera sensor.
- Some of these features have slipped for years. Under-display Face ID has been “two years away” for about five years, and the brighter COE OLED may not reach Pro iPhones until 2029.
- My view: it will surely look gorgeous. But an own camera sensor and Face ID under the glass in a first generation is a big risk. If it’s really wow, I’ll be the first to say it.
For the iPhone’s 20th anniversary in fall 2027, leaks describe an all-glass iPhone 20 Pro with a display curved on all four sides, under-display Face ID, buttons that don’t move, Apple’s own modem and image sensor, and an A21 Pro chip. Two sizes are rumored, with 6.41-inch and 6.96-inch screens.
In this article: Samsung did it in 2014 · Its own camera sensor, right on the iPhone 20? · Face ID under the screen: I fear the first try · Skip the iPhone 18 Pro? Careful · The iPhone X was a revolution. Do it again · FAQ
Samsung did it in 2014
We already saw curved edges at the competition, and honestly, it looks gorgeous. But how often you triggered some action by accident, that was terrible. And that was already in 2014, when Samsung showed the Galaxy Note Edge with its curved side. Now Apple, which doesn’t want to fall behind and at least learns from the competition’s mistakes, goes into it after so many years.
I’m curious. I don’t want to criticize in advance, but I think it will be the most hyped phone again, and in the bad sense. I want to be wrong. I want them to show it to us and say: wow, Apple is finally back. It will surely look gorgeous, no doubt about that. Apple still makes probably the most beautiful phones on the market. But whether it works for every day, autumn will show.
Its own camera sensor, right on the iPhone 20?
Apple wants to replace Sony’s camera sensors with its own, and Qualcomm’s modem with its own. I’m glad. But the question is: does Apple already have this worked out well enough to replace such good giants? Don’t forget that for a lot of people, the camera is one of the most important reasons to buy a phone.
Moving to its own sensors right on the iPhone 20 is, in my opinion, a big risk. As we know, what’s in the first generations, Apple almost always messes up. Wouldn’t it be better to put it in some cheaper model first, as a test, and then roll it out big and say: we have experience, and we do it excellently?
Face ID under the screen: I fear the first try
That Samsung has unlocking under the display means nothing. What matters is that when Apple puts Face ID under the screen, it doesn’t make mistakes, or unlock only once in three tries. That’s what I’m afraid of. We know how badly everything under the display works at Apple: the camera under the iPhone Duo‘s inner screen got bad reviews for its image quality.
And then they tell us which film to put on the display, like with the iPhone 18 Pro, where Face ID has trouble with matte screen protectors and Apple told people to take them off. Now they want to go even further. Maybe they’ve already worked it all out. I hope they fine-tune it.
Skip the iPhone 18 Pro? Careful
I want to be careful here. When I read that it’s a reason not to buy the iPhone 18 Pro, the Pro Max or another model, and to wait for the 20, I don’t fully agree. If it really comes the way everyone talks about now, I take it as a first generation, and I’m very skeptical of that. I never want to buy a first generation.
But we’ll see. I don’t want to create chaos now and say right away that it’s bad. Time will tell. If it’s really wow, I’ll be the first to say: finally, it’s here, and what they did is truly great.
The iPhone X was a revolution. Do it again
When we remember the iPhone X, it really was a revolution. If they manage to do something like that again this time, I’ll be very happy, and I’ll be the first to go for it, even as a first generation. I want something new and truly innovative, not just more of the same. And after the iPhone Duo hinge and the Action button back and forth, Apple has something to prove.
Also on Evolt News: iPhone Duo Hinge: “Bad Parts, Not Bad Design”? Apple Picked the Parts · Apple Sold Us the Action Button as Innovation. Now It Takes It Away · iPhone 18: Bigger Battery, Bigger Price
Featured image: iPhone 20 Pro render by MacRumors.
This article is opinion.
iPhone 20 Pro rumors: FAQ
When is the iPhone 20 Pro coming?
Rumors point to September 2027, the iPhone’s 20th anniversary.
What will the iPhone 20 Pro look like?
Leaks describe an all-glass design with a display curved on all four sides, developed with Samsung.
Will the iPhone 20 Pro have under-display Face ID?
Apple is reportedly testing it, but it’s uncertain for 2027.
What chip will the iPhone 20 Pro use?
Likely a second-generation 2nm chip, the A21 Pro.
Will it use Apple’s own camera sensor?
Apple is reportedly developing its own stacked image sensor to replace Sony’s, and already has a working prototype.
What screen sizes are rumored?
Leaker Digital Chat Station claims 6.41-inch and 6.96-inch displays.
Sources: MacRumors, Bloomberg, UBI Research, Digital Chat Station, BGR, Notebookcheck.
Our Take
The iPhone 20 Pro will almost certainly look gorgeous, and Samsung showed years ago that curved glass can. The real question is whether a first-generation camera sensor and Face ID under the display will work every day.
Don’t skip a phone you need today because of rumors. If the iPhone 20 Pro is truly the next iPhone X, it will show it in the fall.
