Highlights
- Apple’s iPhone 20 may adopt the curved glass design from iPhone Air and improve thinness and heat dissipation.
- Leak suggests Apple modified iPhone Air’s manufacturing process for rounded glass, reducing costs and enabling a sleeker build.
- 20th Anniversary iPhone is expected in fall 2027 with rumours of a “mostly glass, curved iPhone” design.
Apple’s 20th-anniversary iPhone could use the same glass manufacturing process developed for the iPhone Air. The new information also suggests that the manufacturing changes could bring improvements beyond the appearance of the device. The leaker claims that both heat dissipation and overall thinness have improved substantially as a result of the updated process.
iPhone 20’s Curved Glass Design Leaked
The new information comes from leaker “Fixed Focus Digital” on Weibo, who has shared details about Apple’s plans for the upcoming anniversary iPhone expected to be called the iPhone 20.
According to a new post on Weibo, Apple has modified the manufacturing equipment originally developed for the iPhone Air to produce more rounded glass components for the 20th-anniversary iPhone. The changes are said to have helped Apple reduce manufacturing costs and also improve the phone’s overall heat dissipation and thinness.
The iPhone Air is currently Apple’s thinnest iPhone measuring just 5.6mm in thickness. It features a polished titanium frame along with a glass rear panel. The manufacturing process developed for the device could now reportedly be adapted to create the more rounded glass design planned for the anniversary iPhone.
Apple Planning a Major iPhone Redesign
The latest report adds to several rumours surrounding Apple’s plans for its 20th-anniversary iPhone. A major redesign has been reported for more than a year with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman previously claiming that Apple is working on a “mostly glass, curved iPhone without any cutouts in the display” to mark the milestone.
The reported design could see curved glass extend around all sides of the device, giving the iPhone 20 a significantly different appearance compared to current-generation models.
Apple is expected to use the anniversary model to introduce a major design change, although the company has not officially confirmed any details about the iPhone 20 yet.
iPhone 20 Launch Timeline
The 20th-anniversary iPhone models are expected to launch in fall 2027. They are reportedly set to follow the iPhone 18, iPhone 18e and iPhone Air 2, which are expected to arrive in spring 2027.
For now, the curved glass design and manufacturing changes remain based on leaks and reports. However, the latest information suggests that Apple may already be preparing its production facilities for the major redesign planned for the iPhone’s 20th anniversary.
