Apple’s 20th anniversary iPhone is starting to sound less like a routine design refresh and more like the company’s clearest attempt in years to make iPhone hardware and iOS feel like one continuous surface. The reported redesign, internally called “Glasswing,” is said to pair closely with iOS 26’s Liquid Glass interface, which already pushes Apple’s software toward a more transparent, layered look.
Mark Gurman wrote in his Power On newsletter that Apple’s next major iPhone redesign takes inspiration from the glasswing butterfly, known for its transparent wings.
“The name is a nod to the glasswing butterfly, whose transparent wings inspired a design with glass edges that curve seamlessly into the display on all four sides. The hardware shift is driving software changes as well. Apple’s new Liquid Glass interface is designed to visually blend into this design, creating a more unified look for the device and its operating system.”
What the Glasswing iPhone Design Means
The reported design points to an iPhone with glass edges that curve into the display on all four sides, giving the device a more bezel-free appearance. This also explains why Apple is already laying software groundwork with Liquid Glass, instead of treating the interface as a standalone visual update.
Gurman described the strategy as Apple pushing its usual hardware-software integration further, with the interface feeling like “an extension of the physical device itself.” That line matters because Liquid Glass has sometimes looked more like a design direction waiting for the right hardware.
It May Arrive With the 2027 iPhone Pro Models
Analyst Jeff Pu recently reported that Apple’s 20th anniversary design will not arrive as a separate “iPhone 20” model. Instead, it is expected to come to the 2027 iPhone Pro and iPhone Pro Max.
That makes sense for Apple. A risky glass-heavy redesign fits the Pro line first, where Apple can test a new visual identity before bringing parts of it to cheaper models later.
For users, the practical change is clear. The next iPhone redesign will not only be about thinner bezels or curved glass. It will likely make iOS 26’s Liquid Glass design look more intentional than it does on today’s flat iPhones.
