The all-screen iPhone 2027 rumor has a new twist: Apple may be planning a step-by-step rollout, instead of flipping the switch all at once. Weibo leaker Digital Chat Station says Apple could debut under-screen camera tech in its first foldable iPhone, then bring what works to a radically redesigned 2027 iPhone.
The strategy, as described, is basically a public trial. An under-screen selfie camera puts the lens behind the display with no visible hole, but any hit to image quality would be obvious fast. A foldable model gives Apple a place to measure reaction before it commits that look to the mainstream iPhone.
Under-display Face ID first
MacRumors’ report suggests Apple may tuck Face ID’s TrueDepth system under the display before it hides the selfie camera. The reasoning is that Face ID sensors can be more tolerant of display interference than a front camera, where even small degradation is easy to notice.
One specific claim is a “spliced micro-transparent glass” window built into the display, meant to let Face ID’s infrared sensors pass through. If that happens first, the near-term impact for shoppers could be simpler: a smaller top cutout on Pro models before Apple attempts a full no-cutout front.
Why the foldable comes first
The foldable angle is where the rumor gets bold. MacRumors says Apple is also rumored to be working on a 24-megapixel under-screen camera for the iPhone fold’s inner display, plus a six-element plastic lens, a jump from the lower-res under-display cameras that have shown up on some Android phones.
There’s another tradeoff in the same roadmap: the foldable is said to use side-button Touch ID instead of Face ID because of internal space constraints. In other words, “all-screen” is not just design ambition, it’s a packaging problem.
Check out the best foldables out now for a broader context.
What to watch before 2027
Digital Chat Station also claims Samsung is testing wide-angle folding screens and variable apertures in preparation for a 2026 iPhone cycle, a reminder that Apple’s moves tend to echo across the industry. The key question, though, is still practical: can an under-screen selfie camera look like a normal iPhone camera in real lighting, not just in controlled demos?
If you need to upgrade before any of this becomes real, buy for what’s shipping and reliable, not for a 2027 promise.