Apple logo at BKC store in Mumbai.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
On June 29, 2007, Apple unveiled the company's first-ever iPhone that not only revolutionised the mobile handset industry, but also led to the slow and agonising death of several prominent brands, including BlackBerry and Nokia.
Now, as Apple struggles to register steady growth in the iPhone business, the company is reportedly working on several new iPhone variants, including the foldable model.
Citing reliable sources, Mark Gurman of Bloomberg says that Apple will kick off iPhone (1st Gen)'s 20th anniversary with a foldable iPhone along with the iPhone 18 Pro series in late 2026.
The all-new iPhone is said to have a crease-free bendable screen and comes with a top-of-the-line premium metal enclosure and sturdy hinge to hold the wide-display panel inside.
And, in the following year (2027), Apple, in a bid to recreate the iconic 'iPhone X' launch, will bring a special iPhone model, which will have more glass, almost zero-bezel and curvaceous structure than the current crop of iPhones.
Unlike the iPhone X, which had a big notch at the top, the 20th anniversary iPhone 20 (XX) will have a full display with no visible camera at the top.
It is said to feature an in-display FaceID camera, which can be made invisible through software optimisation to create an edge-to-edge display design. Samsung, which is a major display supplier of Apple, has already achieved this feat on its Galaxy Z Fold series. So, we are certain of this feature being available on the iPhone 20 series.
It is not just iPhones, Apple has more in the offing. It is also expected to bring an all-new smart glasses which will compete with Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses.
Further, fans can also look forward to get their hands on Apple's first-ever table-top robotic device. It will be similar to Amazon's Echo Show.
Apple device will look like a hybrid of an iPad and HomePod fused together. And, it will be able to rotate to face the moving user in the living room. It will act as a central hub for the owner to control other Internet-of-Things (IoT) gadgets at home such as smart ACs, water heaters, security cameras and more.
That's not all -- there will be more Internet-of-Things (IoT) gadgets launching in future.
Just a few months ago, Apple received a patent for smart home security camera-cum-doorbell.
As per the patent application, the new smart home camera is capable of scanning not just the face, but also the upper body to correctly identify the person
It should be noted that Apple is a prominent member of Matter.
For the uninitiated, Matter is an IoT standard jointly developed by big corporations including Apple, Amazon, Google, iRobot, Signify, and Connectivity Standards Alliance (previously known as Zigbee Alliance).
This allows all smart home devices with different operating systems to work seamlessly with digital assistants such as Siri (with Apple Intelligence), Alexa, and Google Assistant.
The specification for Matter v1.0 standard was first released in 2022 and since then, several certified products have made their way to store shelves.
We expect Apple to fully foray into smart home business in the next couple of years. Given the reputation of being a strong advocate of user privacy policies, the Cupertino-based technology major has the potential to gain quick traction among consumers worldwide
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