Why You May Want to Skip the iPhone 18 Pro and Wait for Apple's 20th-Anniversary iPhone

The iPhone 18 Pro is getting close, and by the time Apple takes the stage, there will probably be plenty of reasons to call it the best iPhone yet.

That is almost a tradition at this point.

Apple typically improves its flagship phones every year, adding a faster chip here, a better camera there, and a few design refinements along the way. Those upgrades can be worthwhile, but they do not always change how the phone feels in everyday use.

That is why the bigger question may not be whether the iPhone 18 Pro is good. It almost certainly will be. The more interesting question is whether you should buy it at all if you can wait another year.

Rumors surrounding Apple's 20th-anniversary iPhone in 2027 point to a much more ambitious redesign. Instead of another polished iteration, Apple could use the milestone to introduce a new design language and several technologies that have been rumored for years.

Here are seven reasons waiting for the 2027 iPhone could make more sense.

1. The bezels could finally disappear

Apple has spent years working toward the idea of an iPhone that feels like one uninterrupted sheet of glass. The 2027 anniversary model could bring that vision much closer to reality with a display that curves toward all four edges.

Rather than simply shrinking the bezels again, Apple is rumored to be designing the screen so that the boundaries between the display and frame become much less obvious.

That would create a far more immersive look, especially when combined with Apple's Liquid Glass software design language.

The result could be a phone that feels substantially different from today's iPhones even before you turn it on. Instead of another familiar slab with slightly thinner borders, you could have a screen that visually wraps around the device.

For an anniversary model, that kind of transformation would make a lot more sense than a minor redesign.

2. Physical buttons could be replaced

The idea of removing traditional buttons from the iPhone has been circulating for years. Apple's 20th-anniversary model could finally be the one that makes it happen.

Instead of physical volume and power buttons protruding from the frame, Apple could use solid-state buttons built into the device itself.

These buttons would not physically move when pressed. Instead, Apple's Taptic Engine would create the sensation of a click, similar to the Home button that appeared on older iPhones.

There are a couple of advantages to this approach. It would contribute to the seamless glass design and eliminate some of the small gaps where dust and pocket lint tend to collect.

More importantly, it would make the phone feel noticeably different in your hand.

By 2027, physical smartphone buttons could start to feel like a feature from another era.

3. The display could be Apple's most immersive yet

The curved display would only be part of the visual overhaul.

Rumors also point to a thinner OLED panel that could deliver higher brightness while consuming less power. That combination would improve both the look of the screen and the phone's overall efficiency.

But the biggest change could happen at the top of the display.

Apple has reportedly been working toward moving Face ID components and the front-facing camera beneath the screen. If the company manages to make the technology ready in time, the familiar Dynamic Island could disappear entirely.

That would leave even more of the front panel available for content.

A fully unobstructed display has been one of the industry's long-running goals. If Apple pulls it off, the anniversary iPhone could finally look as futuristic as its software has been trying to feel.

4. The battery could get a serious upgrade

Even the most premium iPhone eventually comes back to the same question: How long will the battery last?

The iPhone 17 Pro Max is already rumored to have one of the largest batteries Apple has put into an iPhone, but reports suggest the 2027 flagship could go significantly further.

One possibility is a battery capacity approaching 6,000mAh.

Apple is also believed to be exploring silicon-anode battery technology, which could allow the company to increase energy density without making the battery physically larger.

That could give the anniversary iPhone more endurance without turning it into a noticeably thicker device.

There is another battery-related feature that could make the phone more useful: reverse wireless charging.

With that capability, you could place compatible accessories such as AirPods on the back of the iPhone and charge them directly from the phone's battery.

It is a small feature, but it could become one of those conveniences you quickly stop thinking about because it simply works.

5. The camera could make another major leap

Apple's camera system has become one of the biggest reasons people choose the Pro models, and the 20th-anniversary iPhone could push mobile photography even further.

One of the most interesting rumors involves a custom image sensor using Lateral Overflow Integration Capacitor, or LOFIC, technology.

The goal is essentially to give the sensor more flexibility when dealing with extreme differences between light and shadow.

In a typical high-contrast scene, bright areas can become blown out while darker parts lose detail. LOFIC technology could help the sensor retain more information across those extremes, producing HDR images with greater balance.

That could make a noticeable difference in situations such as sunsets, backlit portraits, night scenes, and photos containing both bright highlights and deep shadows.

Apple already puts considerable emphasis on computational photography. Pairing that software expertise with a more capable sensor could make the 2027 camera system a meaningful step forward.

6. The next chip could bring more than raw speed

The 20th-anniversary iPhone would naturally receive a new processor, likely the A21 Pro if Apple maintains its naming pattern.

But the interesting part may not simply be faster CPU and GPU performance.

Rumors suggest the chip could be Apple's second generation built on a 2nm manufacturing process, with possible support for Mobile High Bandwidth Memory, or HBM.

HBM could increase the speed at which data moves between memory and the processor, which would be useful for demanding applications and advanced on-device AI workloads.

That matters because Apple's future smartphones are likely to rely increasingly on local processing rather than sending every task to the cloud.

Faster memory access could improve AI features while also helping the phone complete complex tasks more efficiently.

The result would not necessarily be an obvious benchmark score jump for everyday users. Instead, the benefit could appear in the background through faster AI processing, smoother demanding workloads, and potentially better power efficiency.

Preparing for a major upgrade

A dramatically redesigned iPhone can be exciting, but there is one less glamorous part of upgrading that becomes important when you have been using the same phone for several years: moving your data.

Photos, videos, contacts, documents, messages, and app-related content can quickly turn into gigabytes of information. The longer you keep a device, the more complicated that transition can become.

A smart mobile transfer app such as Smart Transfer can make that process easier by helping you move the information you actually want to keep when switching to a new device. Instead of manually searching through folders and figuring out how to copy data from one phone to another, a dedicated transfer tool can give you a more organized way to handle the move.

It is especially useful to think about this before buying a new phone rather than after you unbox it. Cleaning up old files, organizing your photo library, reviewing contacts, and deciding what needs to move can make the eventual transfer much smoother.

That could be particularly helpful for anyone waiting for Apple's anniversary model. After several years with the same device, there may be a lot more digital clutter to sort through than you realize.

7. The price may not be as extreme as expected

A major redesign usually comes with a major price increase, so it would be understandable to expect Apple's 20th-anniversary iPhone to sit well above the current Pro models.

That may not happen.

Recent rumors suggest Apple could keep the anniversary model within the Pro tier rather than creating an entirely new pricing category.

That does not guarantee the phone will be cheap. Apple could still raise the starting price. But the increase may be more controlled than some buyers fear.

There is also a strategic reason for Apple to be careful here.

The company's rumored foldable iPhone, often called the iPhone Ultra, is expected to command a premium price of around $2,000. Keeping the anniversary model below that level would give Apple clearer separation between its flagship products.

In other words, the 2027 iPhone could be much more advanced without necessarily becoming Apple's most expensive mainstream smartphone.

Should you buy the iPhone 18 Pro or wait?

The iPhone 18 Pro could still be an excellent phone. For people upgrading from an older iPhone, its performance, cameras, battery life, and software support may make it a very sensible purchase.

But that does not mean it will be the most exciting iPhone generation.

The rumored 20th-anniversary iPhone in 2027 appears to be aiming for something much bigger. A curved display, hidden buttons, potentially under-display Face ID, a larger and more advanced battery, a new camera sensor, faster memory technology, and a redesigned overall appearance would add up to a much more dramatic upgrade.

Of course, rumors can change, and some of these features may not make it into the final product. Apple has also been known to delay ambitious technologies until they meet its standards.

Still, the possibility alone makes 2027 an interesting year to wait for.

If you already have a recent iPhone and are happy with it, holding on for another year could be the smarter move. You may get to skip an incremental upgrade and move straight to an iPhone that genuinely feels like a new chapter.

Would you rather buy the iPhone 18 Pro this year or wait for Apple's 20th-anniversary iPhone in 2027?