Apple is supposed to introduce its next iPhone, including the rumored iPhone Ultra, in a month and a half. But who cares about that when the intriguing 20th anniversary iPhone leaks are starting to pick up steam?
The latest batch of rumors comes from the leak-tracking YouTuber AppleTrack, who covered eight major upgrades potentially coming to the iPhone 20 in his latest video.
The updates cover everything from the all-glass curved display to better internal components, including a bigger main camera and new battery technology.
All glass everything
One of the more consistent rumors we've seen is that Apple plans on making the 20th anniversary nearly all-glass, starting with the display.
AppleTrack alleges that Apple has codenamed the next iPhone "Glasswing" after a type of butterfly with see-through wings. Check out this blog on the Greta Oto from PBS for a picture of the transparent butterfly.
Simply, as we've seen before, the iPhone 20 will be bezel-less with a quad-curved display that is seamlessly attached to the glass and ceramic back panel.
Curvy
Continuing with the display, the curved design could come in two sizes: 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches. iPhones are already fairly round, but this new design could make them even curvier.
If you want an existing reference, Apple's own Watch Series 7 hints at how the iPhone 20 might look. There shouldn't be side bezels, and it should look all of a piece compared to the two-tone currently on the iPhone 17 Pro.
Sinking the island
Since the Dynamic Island was introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, there have been rumors that Apple is trying to reduce or remove the cutouts for the front-facing camera and Face ID.
Instead, Apple would replace it with under-display technology that conceals those features below the screen. It would also mean a smaller or even non-existent Dynamic Island
This is the most grain-of-salt rumor that keeps recurring. I'll believe this one when I actually see it.
Huge main camera
Currently, the iPhone 17 Pro features a lineup of 48 MP rear cameras, including the main, ultrawide and telephoto lenses. However, per AppleTrack, the iPhone 20 is going to make a massive leap to a 200MP sensor, at least for the main camera, which would match Samsung's Ultra Galaxy S series phones.
This does match rumors from earlier this year that Apple is testing out a 1/1.12-inch sensor to boost its cameras to 200MP. Though at the time it wasn't clear when this new camera would launch.
Image stabilization
Alongside a huge main camera, the ultrawide lens is supposed to get optical image stabilization. Basically, this makes recording videos smoother and less jittery.
The telephoto lens already features this tool, which helps, but you're more likely to use the ultrawide when recording video. So this should make movies even smoother.
New buttons
Clickable buttons may be a thing of the past with the iPhone 20. It's rumored that Apple will get rid of buttons for solid-state ones that provide haptic feedback. This is supposed to make the iPhone 20 more water-resistant.
Similar to the under-display rumors, haptic buttons have been rumored since at least 2022. We even reported on a patent for haptic buttons on the iPhone 20 last October.
In the case of the iPhone 20, it actually makes sense considering the all-glass design. I rate this one as more than likely if the display rumors are true.
No more speakers?
This rumor is wild and the first we've heard of it. Apparently, Apple might remove the speaker grill on the bottom of the iPhone 20.
Instead, Apple would use a "vibration technology" without the need for a speaker cutout. The vibrations would be responsible for the sound. Allegedly, this will debut with an OLED iPad mini that is supposed to launch later this year. I'm very curious about this one.
Better batteries
The final rumor surrounds power and battery. First, AppleTrack says Apple will be introducing reverse wireless charging with the iPhone 20, enabled by a new battery.
Since 2024, Chinese manufacturers like Oppo and Huawei have been introducing silicon carbon batteries in their phones, enabling larger capacity batteries to be inserted into the same space as current lithium-ion ones.
Rival Samsung finally made the leap to silicon carbon with the Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra that were released this July. “We have been testing silicon batteries for quite some time. We’re looking at being very — I wouldn’t say conservative — but more taking it one step at a time," Samsung's executive VP of the Z Fold series, Jay Kim, told Tom's Guide in an interview.
Apple is known for being cautious with new technology, like waiting for a crease-free display to release its version of a foldable.
The iPhone 20 could finally be Apple's time to try the new battery technology out.
Price and release date
Apple probably won't change its usual September release window, so I expect we'll see the 20th-anniversary iPhone launch in September 2027. We should also see the iPhone Ultra 2.
As for price, the iPhone 20 likely won't be cheap. Apple just raised prices on everything but the iPhone. However, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will give us an idea of where things are trending heading next year.
We're expecting the iPhone 18 Pro models to be $200 more expensive. Currently, the iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,099, so the iPhone 18 Pro could cost $1,299. The 20th anniversary might go as high as $1,399 or $1,499 if trends continue.
We're still more than a year away from launch, so we have some time to twiddle our thumbs and ponder.
