The iPhone’s 20th anniversary is approaching fast, and we’re hearing some exciting updates about the new model. Leaks have been piling up around the 2027 iPhone, and the picture they paint is of a phone that looks nothing like anything Apple has made before.
Earlier leaks from Digital Chat Station pointed to Apple working with Samsung on a subtly curved OLED panel that wraps around all four edges. Unlike the dramatic waterfall displays we have seen on Android phones over the years, Apple’s version was said to be far more restrained.
Now, leaker Ice Universe has added something far more interesting to the conversation.
Is this a new kind of display altogether?
According to Ice Universe, Apple may call this the “Liquid Glass Display,” and it sounds like nothing we’ve seen before. It is not a traditional curved display in any sense.
The display curvature itself could be extremely subtle. What actually creates the visual impact is a “sophisticated combination of optical refraction, light-guiding structures, and carefully engineered illusions.”
The result is a display where the bezel almost disappears from sight, while it still looks perfectly natural when viewed from the side. This reminds me of the Liquid Glass practical effect Apple showcased when it released the iOS 26 update. It seems that what Apple did with software, it wants to recreate with its hardware.
Apart from the new Privacy Display on the Samsung S26 Ultra, we have not seen any real smartphone display innovations in a while. It would be cool to see what this Apple display will bring to the table.
What else could change?
Earlier leaks also suggested the 20th anniversary iPhone could drop the polarizer layer and use Samsung’s Color Filter on Encapsulation technology. This makes the display thinner, brighter, and more power-efficient.
There is also talk of an under-display front camera and Face ID, though that remains uncertain.
We are still well over a year away from a 2027 launch, so take all of this with a pinch of salt. That said, if even half of these leaks prove accurate, the 20th anniversary iPhone could be the most dramatic redesign since the iPhone X.
