Apple Prepares ‘Biggest Shake-Up in Two Decades’ to Reinvent iPhone Lineup

Apple is only weeks away from one of its most significant product launches in years, a showcase that will pave the way for a bold new era of the iPhone. After years of criticism that the company has played it too safe with design, Apple is preparing three consecutive years of sweeping iPhone redesigns — a move that could redefine its most iconic product.

Enter the iPhone Air

Pick up an iPhone 16 today and compare it to one from five years ago, and the differences are subtle – sharper edges, new colors, larger cameras — but the silhouette remains essentially the same. For many users, recent iPhone upgrades are motivated less by excitement about design and more by practical needs: a cracked screen, an aging battery, or a desire for an improved camera. The “wow” factor of early iPhone refreshes has been missing.

That’s about to change with Apple’s September launch of the iPhone Air, a thinner, lighter model replacing the iPhone 16 Plus. The Air takes its naming inspiration from the MacBook Air line introduced in 2008 – sleek, instantly marketable, and designed to make an impression.

But the slim form comes with compromises: reduced battery life, the removal of the SIM card slot, a single rear camera, and Apple’s debut in-house modem chip, which lags behind Qualcomm’s latest. Still, its very existence signals Apple’s intent to experiment again.

iPhone 17 Family

Alongside the Air, Apple will release the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max. These will feel more like refinements of the iPhone 16 rather than fully new designs. Changes include a refreshed industrial design on the Pro models, enhanced camera systems, and a new orange color option (while the Air will come in light blue).

The Pro devices remain Apple’s best sellers, and despite modest updates and likely price increases due to tariffs, they’re expected to remain the most practical choice for most users. The slimmer Air may attract a niche, but Apple earns credit for shaking up its lineup.

Foldable iPhone in 2026

The real disruption, however, comes in 2026. Apple is developing its first foldable iPhone, code-named V68, designed in a book-style format similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold lineup. With four cameras, built-in Touch ID instead of Face ID, and the same eSIM-only approach as the Air, this model represents Apple’s first leap into foldables – a category Samsung has already proven viable.

Apple suppliers are preparing to scale up production early next year for a fall release. Engineers recently made adjustments to the display, shifting from on-cell to in-cell touch technology. This change reduces visible creasing on the screen while improving touch accuracy, addressing one of the biggest consumer complaints about foldables.

For now, Apple is testing only black and white variations of the folding phone, which will ship with Apple’s C2 modem chip – the company’s most advanced in-house cellular component to date.

2027: The iPhone Turns 20 with a Curved-Glass Design

As Apple marks the iPhone’s 20th anniversary, 2027 will introduce the iPhone 20 with an all-new curved glass design, breaking from the slab-like aesthetic that has defined the product since 2020. The sleek form will pair seamlessly with Apple’s new Liquid Glass-based operating system interface, also expected to debut next year.

Beyond the iPhone

While the road map for iPhones looks transformational, Apple’s other hardware products are expected to see more incremental growth this fall:

Wearables & Vision Pro: Faster Vision Pro headsets, refreshed Apple Watches.

iPads & Macs: iPad Pros with M5 chips, new iPad Airs and low-end iPads next year, plus M5 MacBook Pros and Airs.

Audio & Home: Next-gen AirPods Pro (potentially with heart-rate monitoring), new HomePod minis, Apple TV updates, and – finally – a HomePod with a built-in screen running a new home-focused OS dubbed Charismatic.

Looking further ahead, Apple is exploring new categories: display-less smart glasses, lightweight headsets, AirPods with built-in cameras, a foldable iPad-Mac hybrid, a tabletop robot, and even Apple-branded home security systems.

Still, Apple’s centerpiece remains the iPhone. The lineup’s planned reinvention ensures it stays at the heart of the ecosystem.

Growth, Risks, and New Subscriptions

Apple’s $100 billion-a-year services business – spanning the App Store, Apple Music, AppleCare, and more – remains hugely profitable, but big challenges loom. Regulatory changes threaten its lucrative in-app purchase system and cast doubt over its $20 billion-per-year search deal with Google, which faces potential termination in court.

In anticipation, Apple is reshaping services:

AppleCare One (launched in July): $20/month for coverage on three devices, an offering expected to rake in steady revenue from customers unlikely to use it heavily.

Apple TV+: Subscription costs recently rose from $9.99 to $12.99, still under competitors but harder to justify given Apple’s smaller content library.

Apple Health+ (planned for 2026): A subscription AI-powered health coach featuring nutrition guidance and medical suggestions.

Expect further price hikes and new services as Apple attempts to steady this business.

The Siri Dilemma

Siri, Apple’s voice assistant, finds itself at a crossroads. The company is deciding whether to continue building its own foundation models or partner with an external AI provider. Options reportedly on the table include Google, Anthropic, and OpenAI.

• Anthropic: Already integrated into Apple’s internal tools, like a customized version of Xcode supported by Claude.
• Google Gemini: Apple has held talks with Google to bring Gemini to its Private Cloud Compute servers and possibly power Siri, which could dovetail with renegotiations around the Apple-Google search deal.
• OpenAI: Considered as a way to enrich Siri’s general knowledge but not a primary option so far.

The future direction of Siri could reshape Apple’s AI roadmap entirely.

Meta Poaches Key Apple AI Staff

At the same time, Apple’s AI division is taking heavy hits in the talent war. Over the past two months alone, six AI engineers and leaders have left Apple for Meta. Among them are Ruoming Pang, head of Apple’s model development team, and Frank Chu, a senior director of AI infrastructure who helped build the foundation for Apple’s large-scale models.

The departures reflect both Apple’s internal struggles in AI and Meta’s aggressive compensation packages. For a company weighing whether to outsource Siri’s future, the optics of mass AI staff losses only deepen concerns.

Bottom Line

2025 won’t be the year of the iPhone revolution. But this fall’s launch of the iPhone Air marks the beginning of Apple’s boldest reinvention in decades-with a foldable iPhone on the horizon and a 20th anniversary edition waiting in the wings. Add in expanding services, looming AI partnerships, and ongoing talent challenges, and it’s clear: Apple is in the middle of its most pivotal transition since the debut of the original iPhone.