Apple appears to be preparing something truly big for the anniversary iPhone. According to insiders, the company is already testing a prototype display with a diagonal of about 7 inches — iPhones have never had a screen this large. It seems that for its twentieth anniversary, the iPhone has decided to grow a couple of sizes at once.
Are you waiting for an iPhone with a screen on all sides?
iPhone 20 Screen: Size, Diagonal, and New Features
The source of the rumor is Chinese insider Digital Chat Station, who has a solid reputation when it comes to display leaks. According to him, Apple is internally testing a panel with a diagonal of approximately 6.96 inches. If this screen makes it to mass production, it will almost certainly be rounded up to the marketing figure of 7 inches — this has happened before with past models, when the actual numbers fell slightly short of a nice round number.
This concerns the preparation for the anniversary iPhone, expected next year. The insider clarified that the screen aspect ratio remains the same as the current iPhone 17 Pro Max. This means the device’s shape doesn’t fundamentally change — it’s the display area that grows. However, whether this panel will make it into the final version of the iPhone 20 Pro Max remains an open question. At the prototype stage, Apple goes through a ton of options, and not all of them make it to store shelves.
The big question is whether it will be comfortable to use such a smartphone
To get an idea of what 6.96 inches means in practice, just pick up an iPhone 17 Pro Max and mentally stretch the image a bit. The increase is small in numbers, but at this diagonal, every fraction of an inch is noticeable: more lines of text, larger photo previews, more comfortable video watching and gaming. At the same time, the body itself is unlikely to balloon significantly — Apple traditionally gains screen area through thinner bezels rather than a bigger box in your pocket.
What Will the iPhone 20 Design Look Like
A twentieth anniversary is a serious occasion, and Apple is clearly preparing thoroughly. Just last month, Bloomberg reported that the company has started work on two sizes of the anniversary iPhone. This means the 7-inch version will most likely be the top model in the lineup, with a smaller model alongside it.
A separate intrigue is the device’s appearance. According to numerous rumors, the anniversary iPhone will feature an edge-to-edge display with glass curved on all sides. This technique creates the effect of a nearly bezel-less screen, where the image literally flows over the edges of the body. If Apple actually implements this, the device will look maximally futuristic compared to all previous generations.
Plus, the smartphone might be entirely made of glass
A large diagonal and a bezel-less body complement each other well. When bezels are minimized and the glass is curved at the edges, a large screen doesn’t look bulky — visually, the device even appears more compact than it actually is. It seems this is exactly the effect Apple is betting on: showing that the phone has grown in screen size but hasn’t turned into a paddle that’s uncomfortable to hold with one hand.
There have been so many rumors surrounding the iPhone 20 that some of them have already leaked in ways that aren’t exactly pleasant for Apple. So secrecy around the project is holding up, to put it mildly, with difficulty.
How the iPhone Screen Has Grown from Model to Model
To understand just how big 7 inches is, it’s worth remembering the history. This year we’re expecting the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, and by expectations they’ll maintain the dimensions of current models. That’s the same 6.3 and 6.9 inches as the iPhone 17 Pro. In other words, Apple isn’t rushing to increase diagonals right now — the big leap has been saved specifically for the anniversary model.
The last time premium iPhones gained in size was in 2024, with the release of the iPhone 16 Pro lineup. Back then, the smaller model grew from 6.1 to 6.3 inches, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max — from 6.7 to 6.9 inches. This was achieved through thinner bezels and a slightly larger body. A familiar approach: the screen gets bigger while the device in hand barely changes.
Against this backdrop, the transition to 7 inches looks like a logical next step. And importantly, this is the first rumor about an increase in diagonal specifically for the anniversary iPhone of 2027. Previously, discussions centered on curved glass, bezel-less design, and new materials, but the actual screen size hadn’t come up.
It’s interesting whether Apple will eventually abandon the screen cutout
However, an increase in diagonal often brings other changes along with it. Apple, according to rumors, is experimenting with the anniversary iPhone very boldly — to the point of making the iPhone 20 completely without buttons. How to use such a device without losing your mind is a separate big topic, but it perfectly illustrates the scale of the vision. The twentieth anniversary is clearly not about cosmetic tweaks.
There’s also a practical side to the growing diagonal. The larger the display area, the harder it is to reach the far corner with your finger, so Apple will surely refine one-handed gesture controls as well. Plus, a large screen always raises the question of battery life: backlighting a bigger panel drains the charge faster, meaning the company will either need to install a higher-capacity battery or seriously optimize energy efficiency. For an anniversary model, you really don’t want to see any battery compromises.
For now, all of this remains at the level of prototypes and leaks, so it should be taken with caution. Between a test panel in a lab and a finished device on a store shelf lies a whole year of work. But if even some of the rumors are confirmed, the anniversary iPhone will become the most notable lineup update in a long time — in terms of screen, design, and internals. And we’ll keep following the news and reporting on everything important.
