All-Glass iPhone for 20th Anniversary Canceled: Analyst Cites Production Issues

Jefferies analyst Edison Lee reports that Apple has scrapped the "all-glass" iPhone, which rumors suggested would arrive next year to mark the 20th anniversary of the original smartphone. The project was shut down due to low yield in the supply chain, according to sources Lee spoke with.

Earlier speculation described the device in various ways: from a fully glass body to a display with four-sided curves. It was also expected to lack buttons, ports, and even the Dynamic Island. Lee estimates such an iPhone could have cost around $2,000, though he did not explain where that figure came from.

The cancellation, in the analyst's view, undermines Apple's efforts to raise average iPhone prices amid a sharp increase in memory costs. Had the device launched, the company could have extended "all-glass features" to future Pro and Pro Max models, boosting their selling price and margins. However, that remains speculation, and it is now moot.

Apple already has an alternative for a pricier handset: the iPhone Ultra, set to be unveiled next month. The company may lean on that model for a couple of years before introducing another new smartphone. So the idea of a more expensive iPhone is not dead entirely, but its realization is postponed indefinitely.