Apple is reportedly still planning a major glass-centric redesign for the iPhone’s 20th anniversary next year, despite a recent report claiming that the company had cancelled the ambitious design. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, people familiar with Apple’s plans say the company is preparing new iPhone Pro models featuring a glass-heavy design.
The devices, reportedly known internally as V73 and V74, are expected to use glass on both the front and back, with the material curving into the sides while retaining a metal band in the middle. That means the design could end up looking somewhat like Apple’s Magic Mouse, albeit in smartphone form. The key difference, of course, is that the front and back portions of the alleged iPhone would both be made from glass.
An Even More Ambitious Design Was Scrapped
Interestingly, Apple had apparently considered an even more extreme version of the design. According to Gurman’s sources, the company’s design studio had pushed for a phone that used even more glass in place of metal.
However, that concept was scrapped relatively early in development after Apple encountered difficulties connecting the glass panels together. The design also reportedly failed to hold up when the company considered what would be required to manufacture the phone at large volumes.
Despite this setback, Apple apparently still intends to deliver a significant visual overhaul for the iPhone’s 20th anniversary in 2027. This also counters a recent analyst report claiming that the glass-centric design had been cancelled.
Not The First Time We’ve Heard About This
Rumours of a radically redesigned anniversary iPhone have been circulating for some time. Back in May 2025, we reported on claims that Apple was working towards a bezel-less design with a display curved around all four edges, potentially accompanied by under-display camera technology.
More recently, reports suggested that Apple was also testing solid-state buttons for the anniversary model, alongside an all-glass, quad-curved display. That report claimed the company was exploring technologies such as under-display Face ID and an under-display selfie camera to create a more uninterrupted front surface.
While Gurman’s latest report suggests that Apple remains committed to a glass-heavy design, neither of the above features was mentioned. It remains to be seen what combination of existing and new technologies the redesigned iPhone will actually feature.
But What About Durability?
Of course, an iPhone with glass curving around its sides sounds rather attractive, until you remember that glass and accidental drops aren’t exactly the best of friends. Curved glass edges in particular could potentially increase the risk of cracking when the phone takes a tumble, although Apple could presumably address this with stronger glass materials by the time the device is ready for launch.
For now, however, all of this remains based on reports and should be treated as such. Apple is still more than a year away from the iPhone’s 20th anniversary, and let’s not forget that this year’s iteration of the company’s smartphone is just around the corner. While it won’t feature an all-glass design, we are also expecting Apple to debut its first-ever foldable iPhone alongside the rest of this year’s lineup.
(Source: Bloomberg)
