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If you're wondering whether it's even worth buying a new iPhone every year, Apple might soon provide a new answer. According to recent reports, a design offensive is coming. Not just a single major update, but a series of profound changes spanning three years. What exactly will change has now become quite concrete thanks to clues from the Chinese supply chain.
According to the well-known Weibo leaker "Digital Chat Station," who often has early access to internal information from Apple's supply chain, Apple plans to make significant changes to the iPhone's industrial design in 2025, 2026, and 2027. Each generation will fundamentally redesign a different area of the device. This will first affect the back, then the front, and finally the entire display. The goal appears to be a completely seamless iPhone design with no visible sensors or interruptions.
2025: The iPhone 17 gets a new rear camera design
The iPhone 17, expected in fall 2025, will be the first to be launched. The most striking innovation will be on the back. Apple is planning a new camera module, which will be visibly redesigned for the first time since the iPhone 11 Pro. Instead of the familiar diagonal or vertical arrangement, a horizontal orientation will be used. The leak refers to a "horizontal large matrix lens decorative component." With this, Apple is not only changing the appearance but possibly also the function and appearance of the camera system.
2026: The front comes into focus
In the following year, in 2026, Apple plans to redesign the front of the phone. More specifically, it's the Dynamic Island – the pill-shaped cutout that has housed the front camera and Face ID technology since the iPhone 14 Pro. This will be completely eliminated. Instead, only a single round cutout for the selfie camera will be visible. The Face ID hardware will move under the display and thus be completely invisible. This means more visible screen space, fewer distractions from the cutouts. Whether this technology will be reliable enough remains to be seen, but Apple has apparently been working on this implementation for years.
2027: The iPhone without visible sensors
The target year for the complete redesign is 2027. That's when an iPhone is expected to be released that, for the first time, will be completely free of visible cutouts, holes, or notches. The selfie camera and the Face ID system are both expected to be located entirely under the display. This would mean Apple would launch a "true full-screen iPhone" – without any interruptions in the display. One important detail is still missing: It is not known whether these changes are exclusive to the Pro models or whether they will eventually be extended to the entire iPhone lineup. History shows that Apple often introduces new technologies in its high-end models first. This was also the case with the Dynamic Island, which launched with the iPhone 14 Pro in 2022 and made its way into the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus in 2023.
iPhone is getting exciting again – and different every year
For you as a user, this means that in the coming years, every new iPhone could look truly "new." Apple is thus returning to a more aggressive pace of innovation in industrial design. So, if you're considering upgrading your iPhone, the years 2025 to 2027 could be particularly interesting. With a new camera design, invisible Face ID, and a full, uninterrupted screen, each model during this period is likely to be clearly different from its predecessor. Whether you'll need to upgrade to a Pro model to get all these innovations right away remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: The iPhone will gradually change more visibly than in recent years. (Image: Shutterstock / RYO Alexandre)
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