Editorials · Insider Reaction

The iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro paint three possible scenarios for next year, and I’m optimistic

Apple blew me away with the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro, and it gives me hope for the iPhone 20 Pro coming next year.

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Using the iPhone Duo in portrait mode
The iPhone Duo's specs and name were unconfirmed until the last second. | Image by Apple
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The iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro models are here in all their folding, Burgundy, smaller Dynamic Island, and variable aperture glory. In my opinion, Apple and its new CEO — John Ternus — knocked it out of Apple Park.

Even more importantly, both phones feature technological firsts for Apple. Upgrades that have renewed my hopes for next year, which is going to be the 20th anniversary of the iPhone.

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Understandably, Apple wants to do something really special for the occasion. Until now, however, reports had been claiming that the company might have to postpone its plans until 2028 or even further.

After seeing the iPhone 18 Pro, the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the iPhone Duo, I’m not certain that’s going to remain the case.

Apple’s plans for the iPhone 20 Pro




I’ve talked about this in detail before, so I’ll keep it short and to the point. According to reports, Apple is planning to skip the iPhone 19 series and jump straight to the iPhone 20 next year to celebrate the aforementioned anniversary.

Following its new release schedule, this means that we should see an iPhone 20 Pro, an iPhone 20 Pro Max, and an iPhone Duo 2 in the September of 2027. It’s the iPhone 20 Pro which Apple has grand plans for.

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An iPhone model that has a perfect edge-to-edge display with no visible bezels but no distortion of the contents on the screen, either. More importantly — to my mind, at least — is the plan for this display to have no cutouts at all.

No Dynamic Island, no punch-hole, nothing. Sounds almost too good to be true, and some reports think that it is. But the iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone Duo might have just shown that it’s possible.

What would you like to see in the iPhone 20 Pro?
3 Votes


The worst-case scenario


It is entirely possible that the iPhone 20 Pro will be a minor upgrade over the iPhone 18 Pro. Same display, same Dynamic Island, same chassis, and the same cameras, wrapped up in some software tweaks.

But that would be the worst-case scenario and honestly not something that I think will happen. Apple will not let such a momentous occasion go to waste.

The likely scenario




What is most likely to happen, in my opinion, is a decent amount of progress but Apple will still be unable to achieve its end goal. Just like how the iPhone Duo was delayed so many years in the hopes of a crease-free display, ultimately ending up with a slight crease regardless.

The iPhone Duo comes with an under-display camera on its main internal screen. Unless some major advancements happen within a year, Apple is highly unlikely to use this camera for the iPhone 20 Pro due to its subpar performance.

However, the iPhone 18 Pro has a smaller Dynamic Island because the IR sensor — which reads your face for Face ID — has moved below the display. If Apple is able to move the dot projector and flood illuminator — which light up and scan your face in infrared for the IR sensor to read — below as well, then we might get a punch-hole design.

This is the render that has been most popular as of late in online circles. Sources claim that a punch hole will remain for the selfie camera.

This is the most likely scenario, in my opinion. Not perfect, but a massive step in the right direction.

The best-case scenario




Then again, up until Apple showed them off, no one was confident about what the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro were going to look like. Reported specs were off, finalized names were up in the air, and we didn’t know for certain if the Dynamic Island would be smaller or if the iPhone Duo will feature an under-display camera.

The best-case scenario would be that Apple is secretly able to source an under-display camera that works perfectly, or at least well enough that most customers won’t notice. Couple this with moving the remaining Face ID components below the screen and we very well could see an all-glass display on the iPhone 20 Pro.

This wasn’t something that I was holding out hope for but, after seeing the iPhone Duo and the iPhone 18 Pro models, I am cautiously optimistic.

Apple is bringing it back:

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