A new report claims Apple is preparing an iPhone 20th-anniversary model, a second-generation folding iPhone, and AirPods with cameras for a late-2027 launch—while the devices are already being tested. The suggestion comes with plenty of hedging, including that
For Apple fans, the iPhone’s 20th anniversary has always felt like a moment that deserved a flagship-shaped statement. Now a fresh report throws another possibility into the mix: an updated iPhone Fold, camera-equipped AirPods, and a 20th-anniversary iPhone all timed for late 2027.
The claim is ambitious, and the language around it is careful. The report says Apple is preparing multiple new releases for late 2027. including an iPhone meant to mark the anniversary of the original iPhone. It also points to a bezel-free display as a long-rumored possibility. Alongside that. it says Apple is working toward a second-generation folding iPhone and AirPods with cameras—ideas that have circulated for years.
What makes this version stand out is the timeframe and the internal work already underway. The report says the devices are already being tested. with “unspecified sources” adding that Apple intends to launch its greatest number of products yet. It also claims Apple is testing iOS 28, described as the more predictable part of the plan.
AirPods with cameras: not for photos, but for Siri help
The report revisits an earlier theme: the cameras in the AirPods wouldn’t be designed to replace an iPhone camera roll. Instead, it describes a use-case built around asking Siri questions using what the user has in front of them.
The specific example quoted again here is that a user could ask Siri to suggest a meal based on what is in their fridge—using the AirPods cameras as the input.
That example lands in the middle of a bigger debate about what the cameras are actually for. The report’s own discussion points out that it may not be as simple as “point and shoot.” Apple already has Intelligence tools that can recognize food types. so the cameras could be feeding that capability—if they can identify objects like groceries reliably enough.
There’s also a practical question about where those cameras would sit. The report claims the cameras would be in the stems. That suggests they could be forward-facing, which would make day-to-day use more plausible. If the cameras weren’t forward-facing. the alternative would be awkward: users would have to take the AirPods out to point the camera. The report argues that would provide no real benefit compared with simply pulling out an iPhone.
It says these AirPods were previously intended for release in 2026. It adds they may have been held up as Apple developed Apple Intelligence models that could identify objects. The report also says the AirPods are already in design validation testing (DVT). which would typically mean they’re close to being ready. It further claims the cameras would include lights to show when they’re active.
All of this is familiar territory—just with a new date
AirPods with cameras have had a long runway of speculation. This report isn’t the first time the idea has surfaced.
In June 2024, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo surmised that camera AirPods would come as an accessory for Apple Vision Pro. In February 2026, there was a “sketchy leak” that claimed the cameras would not add to the cost of future AirPods. The new report is also said to follow the granting of a patent for the technology.
But even with the renewed push, the report doesn’t deliver the one thing readers will want most: certainty. It tries to tie the timing of camera AirPods release to a “new Siri release. ” but the source material makes clear that the true release window isn’t well supported by reliable earlier reporting—and even this report says the AirPods are still in validation testing.
The iPhone 20th anniversary: a familiar pattern, with new moving parts
The idea of an iPhone 20 model isn’t a stretch. Apple has been here before: in 2017, it released the iPhone X to mark the iPhone’s 10th anniversary. Tim Cook said at the time that that design would define the next ten years of smartphones.
Now the report claims Apple is preparing a 20th-anniversary iPhone for late 2027. It also repeats the long-running guess that the display would be bezel-free.
Beyond that, the report suggests a second-generation folding iPhone alongside the anniversary model. What’s less certain—despite the report’s confidence—is whether a second-generation folding iPhone will actually arrive. Other reporting described delays around the first iPhone Fold, which multiple leaks say could be announced in September 2026.
The end of the story, at least as outlined here, depends heavily on September 2026. If the first-generation iPhone Fold truly is ready to be revealed and launched in 2026, then a second-generation could arrive in 2027.
The report itself adds a hedge: it says the rumors are subject to change and are described as internal goals for Apple. Still, the underlying pressure remains. Calling an internal delay a “failure” may be harsh. but the gap between ambition and readiness is exactly where timelines tend to slip—especially when hardware is already being tested.
Right now. the only thing that feels solid is movement: iPhone plans for a 20th anniversary. iOS 28 testing. a folding successor story shaped around September 2026. and AirPods with cameras that—if the stems really do house forward-facing hardware—would aim to turn everyday objects into inputs for Siri.
Whether late 2027 holds will come down to what survives validation testing. And for Apple’s next wave of products, that’s the part readers will feel first: not the marketing, but the wait.
Apple iPhone 20th anniversary iPhone Fold AirPods with cameras iOS 28 Apple Intelligence design validation testing Ming-Chi Kuo Apple Vision Pro Siri