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Apple plans glass-heavy iPhone redesign for 20th anniversary in 2027
Pro models V73 and V74 could feature glass front, rear and edges despite all-glass concept being dropped
MUMBAI: Apple may be taking the glass ceiling quite literally. The company is reportedly pressing ahead with a major iPhone redesign for 2027, when the device marks its 20th anniversary, despite an earlier report suggesting that its glass-heavy plans had been scrapped.
According to a Bloomberg report, people familiar with Apple’s roadmap said the company is still preparing new Pro models with a significantly greater use of glass. The redesign could give the iPhone a distinctly different look as Apple approaches two decades since the original model arrived.
The models, identified internally as V73 and V74, are expected to feature glass on both the front and rear, with the material extending around the edges. A metal band would continue to sit between the two glass sections.
Apple had reportedly considered an even more ambitious version that would have replaced much of the phone’s metal structure with glass. That concept was abandoned after the company encountered difficulties in joining the glass components while making the design practical for mass production.
That setback, however, does not appear to have killed the wider glass-focused redesign. Instead, Apple is understood to be moving ahead with a more practical interpretation of the concept.
The reported roadmap comes after Jefferies analyst Edison Lee said the all-glass iPhone had been cancelled following checks with Apple’s supply chain. The report also contributed to a downgrade of Apple’s stock amid concerns that abandoning the design could affect the company’s strategy of pushing consumers towards higher-priced devices.
People familiar with Apple’s plans have disputed that assessment, saying the 2027 models remain on track. Apple has not publicly commented on the reported designs.
The timing is significant because Apple typically finalises hardware designs well before launch, meaning development of the 2027 iPhone is already well underway. Even so, manufacturing hurdles can still force changes before a product reaches consumers.
The redesign comes as Apple looks to keep its most important product category moving. The iPhone accounts for around half of Apple’s overall revenue, while sales rose 22 per cent in the company’s most recent quarter cited in the report.
The 2027 anniversary model is not the only major change in Apple’s pipeline. The company is also expected to introduce a foldable iPhone, potentially marking one of its biggest design departures since the smartphone’s launch.
Before that, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are expected to receive substantial camera upgrades, with Apple also reportedly considering a dark red finish.
Beyond phones, Apple’s hardware ambitions are spreading into smart glasses, camera-enabled AirPods and other products combining artificial intelligence with wearable and home technology.
The expanding product roadmap will also arrive alongside a leadership change, with John Ternus scheduled to become Apple’s chief executive on September 1. For him, the 20th-anniversary iPhone could therefore be more than a new chapter in Apple’s design story, it could be an early test of where the company goes next.
