Leaks about Apple's 2028 iPhone are already starting to circulate, offering an early look at how the company plans to evolve its design, display, and camera. The 2028 model will follow the 20th anniversary iPhone, which is expected to introduce a display that curves down around all four edges for a near borderless effect. Reports suggest the first version of that design will launch with visible compromises, and the 2028 device is where Apple intends to resolve them.
A more transparent cathode removes distortion and heat
The main change will affect the display's cathode layer. The 2027 anniversary iPhone is said to use a magnesium-silver alloy that can cause image distortion and brightness loss along the curved surfaces. For 2028, ETNews from Korea reports that Apple will switch to indium zinc oxide cathodes, a far more transparent material. The result should be less distortion, more even brightness, and fewer heat issues at the curved edges.
Hole-punch Dynamic Island paves the way for a notchless front
DSCC analyst Ross Young has stated that under-display Face ID is unlikely to be ready for 2027. That means the 20th anniversary model may keep a Dynamic Island similar to the one on the iPhone 18 Pro. The 2028 iPhone then becomes the more likely candidate to take the next step toward a cutout-free front, whether through an even smaller hole-punch or by moving Face ID and the front camera entirely under the display.
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Narrower bezels thanks to the new material
The switch to indium zinc oxide is also expected to let Apple slim down the bezels further than on the 2027 model. According to ETNews, the more transparent cathode allows for a tighter bend radius and brings the handset closer to a true all-screen appearance. This is one of several improvements tied to the material change.
Tandem OLED boosts brightness and longevity
Apple is weighing tandem OLED technology for the iPhone as early as 2028, having already adopted it on the M4 iPad Pro. The structure stacks two organic light-emitting layers to deliver higher brightness, a longer lifespan, and better power efficiency than today's single-layer panels. LG Display is promoting a simplified tandem approach that stacks two layers for the blue sub-pixel only, but the final call remains with Apple. For more background on OLED technology, you can refer to the relevant Wikipedia entry.
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A22 Pro chip built on a 1.4-nanometer process
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that the high-end 2028 models will move from the 2-nanometer process used in 2027 to a 1.4-nanometer A22 Pro chip built on TSMC's A14 node. The new chip is said to offer up to 15 percent better performance than a 2nm chip, or the same performance with 30 percent lower power draw. TSMC is expected to fabricate the majority of the chips, with Intel potentially handling part of the orders.
200-megapixel periscope telephoto for incredible detail
Leaker Digital Chat Station and analysts at Morgan Stanley both point to a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto sensor debuting as soon as 2028. The higher resolution would let users zoom and crop more aggressively without losing quality, and it would support large prints with exceptional detail. Production tests are already underway, but mass adoption is still a couple of years away.
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With the 2028 iPhone still roughly 26 months out, nothing is set in stone. Yet the rumors matter more than they might first appear. Anyone buying an iPhone 18 Pro this September on a typical two-year upgrade cycle will be due for a new handset in 2028, making this the model many of today's buyers will actually own. The current leaks sketch a longer redesign arc that starts with the 2027 anniversary device and reaches its polished form the following year. For Apple fans looking to upgrade their accessories in the meantime, the recent deals on AirPods Pro 3 show that waiting can come with some savings.
Source: https://www.macrumors.com/2026/08/01/things-we-know-about-2028-iphone
