Apple reportedly cancels 20th anniversary iPhone that was set to be historic redesign
One of Apple's most intriguing iPhone concepts has now reportedly been scrapped after years of rumors, with the tech giant previously planning an all-glass design to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the device.
While Apple has tried and tested a number of different forms for the iPhone over the years – including the recently released ultra-thin iPhone air, alongside the upcoming foldable iPhone Ultra – the design itself has remained relatively consistent over the years.
One of the biggest components of this is the body itself, as the metal frame offers not only a sleek visual design but a reliable and durable shell for the powerful components found inside, yet Apple was seemingly looking to shake things up with a special variant ahead of the iPhone's 20th anniversary.
As reported by MacRumors, people have known about this special iPhone for around a year now with hints first dropping back in 2025, yet it appears as if Apple has now decided to scrap the plans completely despite excitement coursing throughout the wider community.
What's so special about the 20th anniversary iPhone?
While it appears to be officially no longer on the table, the biggest new feature of a prospective 20th anniversary iPhone would have been it's all-glass design, marking the most significant departure since the iPhone X's release back in 2017.
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This would have reportedly featured a design that curved at the edges, with the glass effectively running all the way around the device creating an almost seamless effect.
Key also to this incredibly sleek design would have been an under-display Face ID sensor and solid-state buttons – which feature no physical moving parts and are instead based on touch-sensitive areas with internal haptic motors to mimic the feeling of pressing on an actual button.
It certainly would have felt premium – perhaps a little too much for some users who would have been afraid to break it – but that came at a cost that was seemingly too prohibitive for Apple, especially at a time when general hardware spending has gone through the roof due to AI.
How much would it have cost?
While there's no way to know exactly how much Apple would have priced this iPhone when it was planned to launch in September 2027 at the earliest, as prices are rapidly evolving in response to AI demands, but industry experts have suggested it could have set consumers back as much as $2,060.
This would make it by far the most expensive base iPhone model in history, potentially beating out even the rumored price of the upcoming iPhone Ultra which features a folding screen, but there's a good chance that memory shortages would have caused this to rise even further, prompting Apple to pull the plug.
According to Jefferies analyst Edison Lee, this could also spell danger for the overall future of the iPhone, as many speculated that the all-glass design would eventually be mirrored in the Pro and Pro Max lineup.