Apple wants the iPhone’s 20th birthday to feel new, and the plan goes beyond hardware. A senior Omdia researcher says Apple will jump past iPhone 19 and launch the 2027 lineup as iPhone 20. The move fits a pattern you’ve already seen in Apple’s software.
The company skipped iOS 19 entirely, aligning later releases with calendar years instead, which is how we got iOS 26 in 2025. Apple seems to be following that same year-based logic for hardware now, setting up the iPhone 20 as both a design milestone and a symbolic reset for the brand’s twentieth year.
ETNews, citing Omdia senior researcher Heo Moo-yeol, reports that Apple ties the name to a broader reset. The company plans a fresh design that aims for a bezel-less front and sloping edges so the phone looks like one piece of glass. The move mirrors 2017, when Apple marked the tenth anniversary with iPhone X and its first OLED display.
Why the name jump
Numbers shape perception. Calling the device iPhone 20 signals a milestone and sets expectations for visible change. You expect more than a spec bump. The report frames this as a design turning point, the next big shift after iPhone X. If Apple delivers on the near-frameless face, you will notice it the moment you look at the screen.
The branding also lets Apple tidy its lineup. A clear 20th-anniversary label creates an easy story for you and for Apple’s marketing. It lines up with a hardware push and a potential schedule change.
A two-stage 2027 plan
Heo outlines an unusual cadence for 2027. Apple plans to launch a vanilla iPhone 20 and a new iPhone 18e in the first half of the year. The company then follows in the fall with iPhone 20 Air, Pro, Pro Max, and Fold 2. That split lets Apple spread attention across tiers and keep momentum all year.
“Apple will launch the iPhone 18e and iPhone 20 in the first half of 2027, and the iPhone 20 Air, Pro, Pro Max, and iPhone Fold 2 in the second half of the year.”
What changes in 2026
The same report says Apple trims the 2026 lineup by skipping a regular iPhone 18. You should see Air, Pro, Pro Max, and the first iPhone Fold. Without a base 18 for one cycle, panel demand drops temporarily. Omdia estimates more than 8 million foldable units in the first year, which offsets part of that dip.
This roadmap gives us three clear takeaways.
- First, expect a visible design leap with iPhone 20 that makes the front look seamless.
- Second, prepare for a spring release window for some models, not only fall.
- Third, watch Apple’s foldable push mature quickly into a second-generation device by late 2027.
If Apple executes this plan, you get more frequent upgrade touchpoints and a cleaner story around the brand’s twentieth year. The name iPhone 20 sets the bar. The hardware and timing will need to meet it.
I like the daring of Apple. If they can execute it will be near miraculous. Even thinking about such a plan is daring. Bravo! Apple.