Apple Skips iPhone 19: Targets iPhone 20 for 20th Anniversary Celebration!

Updated October 24, 2025, 11:24 AM:

A recent buzz, highlighted by 9To5 Mac, has “confirmed” that next year’s iPhones will feature the A20 and A20 Pro chips. This doesn’t come as a shock, as other outlets had previously hinted at this development. In fact, I might as well have started this rumor myself, given that Apple has been consistently upgrading their chip annually by one model ever since the A4 chip in 2010. Fifteen years later, we are naturally at the A19, and logically, the A20 is expected to be unveiled in 2026.

What makes this particularly intriguing in the context of the iPhone 20 is that Apple does not appear ready to align its numbering system. In 2027, Apple is likely to skip the iPhone 19 and jump directly to the twentieth generation, but the chip will be the A21. It won’t be the A20, since that’s releasing the previous year, so we’ll need to get used to a reversal in the usual numbering sequence — the iPhone 20 will be powered by an A21 chip. And it will run iOS 28, because obviously, it would be too straightforward if that number matched up, wouldn’t it?

Original Article

While the iPhone 17s were just released last month, speculations are already widespread about the next generation. It’s understandable given that the end of 2026 or the beginning of 2027 will mark the twentieth anniversary of the iPhone. Heo Moo-Yeol, an executive at Omdia, shared insights during a conference at ETNews about the upcoming lineup.

According to gathered insights, Apple plans to unveil the 18th edition of the iPhone and the iPhone 18 early in 2027, which will give room for the introduction of the second generation iPhone Air, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the highly anticipated first “iPhone Fold” towards the end of 2026. Spreading out the releases like this should help Apple maintain a steady demand throughout the year, as opposed to the current trend of a surge in demand at the end of the year that gradually diminishes.

However, it’s the end of 2027 that is drawing significant attention, with a little twist in naming: just like the iPhone introduced for its tenth anniversary wasn’t called “iPhone 9” but was instead named iPhone X, with the ten represented in Roman numerals, the twentieth anniversary iPhone is expected to skip the 19 and will simply be named “iPhone 20” (or perhaps iPhone XX?).

This new iPhone, being a high-end model, will see Apple likely introducing at the end of 2027 the iPhone 20 Pro, iPhone 20 Pro Max, the third generation iPhone Air, and the second generation iPhone Fold. For the standard iPhone 20, it is expected in early 2028.

Apple seems intent on making a significant impact with these upcoming years, marking a renewal era for the iPhone, between celebrating an anniversary, launching new models like the recent iPhone Air and later the iPhone Fold, and an entirely new design planned for the iPhone 20. So, aside from a neat round number, what are your expectations for this anniversary?