20th Anniversary iPhone Will Feature Solid-State Buttons and Tandem OLED Display Upgrades: Will Launch in 2027

Apple is reportedly revisiting plans for solid-state buttons, this time for a special 20th anniversary iPhone due next year. A Chinese tipster named Instant Digital claims Apple is already testing these controls, which are expected to match an all-glass design with quad-curved edges.

The same leak suggests the 20th anniversary iPhone will also receive a large 6,000mAh battery. Reverse wireless charging support is said to be included, hinting at easier power sharing with accessories or other phones, alongside the redesigned buttons and display changes.

20th Anniversary iPhone Solid-state Buttons and Durability Upgrades

Instant Digital reports that Apple has stress-tested the solid-state buttons in challenging conditions. Tests allegedly covered use with gloves, activation by wet fingers and operation during extreme temperatures. A dedicated low-power chip is said to detect presses, drive haptic feedback and keep buttons functional even when the device is fully powered down.

To support the new look, Apple is rumoured to use next-generation Ceramic Shield across the screen and sides. This upgraded glass is expected to improve scratch resistance compared with current models. The leak adds that the quad-curved screen will visually merge into the frame, reducing the appearance of edges.

20th Anniversary iPhone Tandem OLED Display and Hidden Components

The 20th anniversary iPhone is tipped to feature under-display Face ID and a front camera hidden beneath a dual-layer OLED panel, also known as tandem OLED. Apple already uses tandem OLED in the 2024 iPad Pro series, so the technology would not be entirely new within the product range.

One notable design change concerns audio during calls. The report claims the device will not carry a visible earpiece at the top of the screen and will instead rely on "under-display sound". Similar approaches appeared earlier on phones like the Pixel 5 and LG G8, which used the display to transmit sound.

The table below summarises the leaked features for the 20th anniversary iPhone based on the latest report:

Apple has not confirmed any of these details, and the device in question is described as a future 20th anniversary iPhone model. For now, the information remains based on leaks, including a mock-up shared by MacRumors and the Chinese-language post cited by Instant Digital.