20 Years of iPhone: Apple designs a revolutionary curved display on all sides

Apple is known for not letting major milestones slip by without presenting something deeply different from a tech standpoint. Just think of the iconic iPhone X, the flagship for the 10-year milestone that introduced Face ID – functionality still in use, refined over time.

With the twentieth anniversary of the iPhone, which will fall in 2027, numerous speculations have already emerged about what the Cupertino company has in store to celebrate this historic milestone. The latest rumors indicate a radical change in the device’s aesthetic and functional approach, suggesting the definitive abandoning of the flat design in favor of a quad-curved display.

iPhone 20: The Anniversary Model Could Change the Series’ Aesthetics Forever

According to information leaked by the well-known insider Digital Chat Station, Apple would be working closely with Samsung on developing an unprecedented screen destined specifically for the anniversary iPhone. The most evident feature of this panel will be its quad-curved design, with all four edges slightly curved to wrap around the device’s structure.

Although Apple has historically influenced the market toward flat-screen adoption, this move would mark a strategic U-turn, with the company engaged in perfecting the specific curvature radius to ensure a superior tactile and visual experience.

This evolution isn’t entirely sudden, because already with the iPhone 15 line the edges became more contoured, a trend that has been consolidated with the unibody aluminum design of the iPhone 17 Pro models.

From a technical standpoint, the innovation will not be purely aesthetic but will also concern the structural efficiency of the panel. One of the most noteworthy changes is the possible removal of the polarizer layer, a choice that would significantly reduce the display thickness and improve its energy efficiency.

Although this type of screen has already been explored by Chinese manufacturers, its application to an iPhone would mark a first for Apple. The ultimate goal seems to be achieving a true full-screen design, i.e., a device entirely dominated by the display.

To achieve this result, Cupertino is reportedly working to move the Face ID system components under the panel, a highly complex task that is gradually reducing the size of visible elements starting with the iPhone 18 Pro models.