Past rumors have suggested that the 2020 iPhone could have an updated design compared to the iPhones of the past few years, and now some more info on that new design may have leaked out.
Apple is reportedly planning to use a design similar to the iPhone 4 on its 2020 iPhone models. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via MacRumors), Apple will use 2/2.5D glass on the front and rear and a metal frame, but rather than being rounded like on the iPhone 11 Pro, it'll be similar to the iPhone 4 which features a flat metal frame.
The new frame will have "a more complex segmentation design, new trenching and injection molding procedures, and sapphire or glass cover assembly to protect the trench injection molding structure," says Kuo. He goes on to suggest that the trenching and injection of metal could reduce the reduce the negative impact of the metal shielding on the internal antenna, while the sapphire or glass will help protect the injection molding structure.
The iPhone 4 is one of Apple's more popular smartphone designs, and so using a similar look could help boost interest in the next iPhone update. We've had the current design for a few years now, and so it's expected that Apple will introduce a new look on the 2020 iPhone. And the current iPad Pro has an iPhone 4-like design with a flat metal frame, and so it's possible that Apple could make its next smartphone look similar to the iPhone 4, too.
Kuo has previously suggested that Apple will offer high-end versions of its 2020 iPhones with 5.4-inch and 6.7-inch screens as well as another 6.1-inch iPhone. All three models are expected to have OLED screens, which would be an upgrade for the 6.1-inch model that currently has an LCD screen. Also rumored to be coming to next year's iPhones is 5G support.