Expect new iPhone designs every year until 2027

As we get closer to the 2025 fall iPhone event, journalist Mark Gurman has shared a breakdown of the leaks and rumours he knows of about Apple’s smartphone game plan.

He doubles down on earlier predictions for the upcoming event (rumoured to be Sept. 9), which will feature a new, thinner iPhone model dubbed the iPhone Air that will only have one camera and use Apple’s new C1 modem. He also says that this device will ship globally without a SIM card slot. Previously, all iPhones in Canada still supported traditional nano SIM cards, but this may be the first in our country to only offer eSIM.

Next year, Gurman says that we’ll see Apple’s first folding iPhone. It will be a similar shape to the Galaxy Fold 7 and will have two rear cameras, plus one inside and another on the front screen. However, it won’t use any of these for Face ID and will instead add a Touch ID button. The report also states that Apple will have one of the best folding displays when it finally releases next fall, with an unnoticeable crease and minimal touch latency.

While foldables are gaining some ground in the Android world, they’re very expensive and are more niche than originally thought. That said, it will be interesting to see if Apple’s marketing machine can change the discourse. I also wonder if the backbone of tablet apps meant for iPads will also help give Apple a leg up in the foldable space.

It should also be noted that Gurman expects Apple to move the standard iPhone 18 release to the spring of 2027 to launch alongside the iPhone 18e. This will be a significant reformat for the tech giant and will mean that the iPhone 18 Air, 18 Fold and 18 Pro will take the spotlight at the traditional fall iPhone event in 2026. This seems like a fairly calculated move from Apple, but time will tell if it helps move more iPhones.

In the back half of 2027, Apple is reportedly working to revamp the look of the iPhone from the standard rectangle we’ve seen since the first iPhone generation. This will be the 20th anniversary of the iPhone, and it’s expected to use more curves and glass to help the hardware blend in more with the Liquid Glass design coming in iOS 26. That said, we don’t know much about this model, so it’s hard to speculate exactly how more glass will be used. It seems likely that this design will start on the Pro iPhone that year since Apple will have moved the standard release to the following spring.

Looking outside the iPhone realm, Apple is also on track to release new M5 iPad Pros, a new Vision Pro and updated Apple Watches. There is also speculation for an updated version of AirPods Pro that will feature a heart rate monitor like the latest Powerbeats.

Before the end of the year, Gurman also thinks we might finally see the long-rumoured Apple smart home display that will compete with Amazon and Google. Also in the smart home, there might be a new Apple TV 4K and HomePod minis.

Moving into next year, we should see an iPhone 17e in the spring as well as some new iPads and MacBooks. Apple is also working on a new external display that could come out around the same time.

Gurman also says Apple is working on smart glasses, some kind of tabletop robot, a lighter and more affordable Vision headset, AirPods with cameras, a foldable iPad and smart home security devices. That said, all of these are so far off that there is a big chance that some of them never make it out of R&D.

Source: Bloomberg