Bloomberg: Apple's 3-year iPhone plan from the iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone Fold to the anniversary iPhone

For years, the same iPhone design has dominated without any fundamental changes, according to analyst Mark Gurman in his opening statement of his Power On newsletter from August 24, 2025. The iconic look, which has been upgraded year after year only with faster chipsets and more powerful cameras, is expected to be gradually revamped starting this year as part of an ambitious three-year plan.

Step 1: iPhone 17 generation with thin iPhone 17 Air

The first phase will begin in just a few weeks, purportedly on September 9. Along with the modified iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max camera design, the radically thin iPhone 17 Air will form the basis for further developments, such as the first foldable iPhone next year. The Bloomberg analyst confirms several key specs for the upcoming iPhones, including the same Apple C1 modem in the iPhone 17 Air as in the iPhone 16e, the lack of a SIM card slot, below-average battery life, and the light blue color option already seen several times in renders and dummies. The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, on the other hand, will indeed be available in an orange color, but will not feature any radical design changes apart from the wider camera.

Step 2: The first foldable iPhone 18 Fold in 2026

Things are set to get more exciting in the following year. The first completely new iPhone form factor in years will be the "iPhone Fold", codenamed V68, now finally scheduled for 2026 and vaguely reminiscent of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7. A total of four cameras are expected: two on the back and one each on the cover and inner display. A SIM card slot will also be lacking here. Interestingly, the foldable iPhone, potentially called iPhone 18 Fold, will not have Face ID, but will instead bring a revival of Touch ID, at least according to current plans. Mass production is scheduled to begin in spring 2026, with only black and white color options currently planned. One last piece of exciting information: Both the Apple foldable and the remaining iPhone 18 models will utilize an advanced Apple C2 modem, which are expected to be on par with Qualcomm's modems for the first time.

Step 3: New glass iPhone in the anniversary year of 2027

The climax of the iPhone renewal is scheduled for 2027, marking the 20th anniversary of the very first iPhone in 2007. Details are still lacking, but Gurman reiterates that a completely new curved glass design is expected, which should perfectly match the liquid glass look of iOS 26 and later.

Numerous Apple innovations also expected

Even though the iPhone renewal will be the major focus of the coming years, according to Bloomberg, many more Apple innovations are expected on the way to 2027. Here are the most important products announced so far:

• New Apple Watches in the fall
• A performance upgrade for the Apple Vision Pro headset
• New iPad Pros with Apple M5 chip
• New AirPods Pro 3, potentially with heart rate monitoring
• New HomePod Minis and Apple TV boxes
• iPhone 17e, new entry-level iPads and iPad Air models in early 2026
• New Apple M5 MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs expected in spring 2026
• New product categories such as a HomePod with a display and the new Home OS operating system
• Further in the future: An Apple desktop robot, smart glasses without a display, a cheaper Vision headset, AirPods with cameras, a giant foldable iPad/Mac convertible, and a security camera system.