When it comes to the design, Apple's current iPhones look more or less identical to something that it released four or five years ago. While the internals and camera have improved year-after-year, the overall look has remained the same. And it appears like Apple is planning major iPhone redesigns for the next three consecutive years.
As reported by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is planning to reinvent the iPhone design every year, at least for the next three years. This year's iPhone 17 Air is going to lay the foundation, while next year's foldable iPhone could bring an all-new category of iPhones. Lastly, 2027 could very well be a breakout year as the smartphone's 20th year anniversary could bring a radically different curved iPhone.
With the iPhone 17 Air, Apple is introducing a new product lineup to replace the iPhone 16 Plus with a thinner and lighter device. While the design may not be completely new, it's the model that introduces the wider camera array, its slim portfolio might cater to users who may want to use something that stands out. The Air is also expected to feature Apple's first in-house modem C1 and may lack a physical SIM slot.
The design language is going to be further refreshed when the foldable iPhone debuts in 2026. This iPhone could reintroduce Touch ID for the first time since iPhone SE 3rd-generation and feature four cameras in total, one on the outer display, one on the inner display and two at the back.
Apple's foldable iPhone could use an in-cell touch screen for better touch accuracy and reduced crease. It will also equip the improved Apple C2 modem and lack a SIM-card slot like that of the iPhone 17 Air.
All these design changes will be squared off with the 20th anniversary iPhone, which is set to release in 2027. This model take a radically different approach with curved edges all across, which should complement the Liquid Glass UI, which is debuting with iOS 26 in September 2025. That said, the more popular models would retain most of the previous design with smaller incremental changes that cater to everyone.
Gurman also specified some other new Apple products in the pipeline which includes the iPhone 17e, M5-powered Apple Watch, iPad Pro, MacBook and Vision Pro devices.
