Apple’s Next‑Gen iPhones May Get Bigger, Cooler Hearts – Foldable and 20th‑Anniversary Models Seen with Advanced Vapor‑Chamber Cooling

According to a tip that’s been making the rounds in Apple’s supply‑chain circles, the tech giant has quietly doubled down on vapor‑chamber cooling components. The surge in orders isn’t just for the iPhone 17 Pro series that introduced the tech last year – it looks like Apple wants the same heat‑sponging magic in two very different, yet equally high‑profile, upcoming devices.

First up, the long‑rumoured foldable iPhone. While Apple has stayed tight‑lipped about the exact name or design, most analysts picture a book‑style hinge that lets you snap the screen open like a mini‑tablet. Early chatter from a supplier named Tipster Fixed Focus Digital hints that the bulk of the new vapor‑chamber plates are destined for this device.

Why does a foldable need extra cooling, you might wonder? Well, a foldable’s internals are split between two halves, and the hinge region can be a thermal bottleneck. Add a beefy processor and a large, high‑refresh display, and you’ve got a recipe for heat buildup. The vapor‑chamber – essentially a sealed container filled with de‑ionised water that spreads heat across the aluminium chassis – could keep things from getting too toasty, especially during heavy gaming or AI‑on‑device tasks.

Apple is reportedly preparing to build around ten million units of the foldable, up from earlier estimates of seven to eight million. That’s a sizable jump, suggesting the company is confident enough to invest in a more robust cooling solution.

The second beneficiary appears to be the iPhone’s 20th‑anniversary lineup slated for 2027. Rumour mills have been buzzing about a special edition that may feature a redesigned glass back and almost‑borderless displays – think iPhone 18 Pro‑size and Pro Max‑size screens. The same vapor‑chamber tech could be slipped into those models to guarantee the promised “up to 40 % better sustained performance” that Apple claimed for the iPhone 17 Pro Max with its A19 Pro chip.

Just to recap, Apple first rolled out the vapor‑chamber cooling system with the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max in 2025. The system works by taking heat from the A19 Pro processor, transferring it to the water‑filled chamber, and then dissipating it across the phone’s metal frame. In theory, this lets the phone stay in the fast lane for longer periods – whether you’re grinding through a graphics‑intensive game, stitching together 4K video, or running local AI models.

If these supply‑chain hints are anything to go by, Apple may be on the cusp of making vapor‑chamber cooling a standard feature across its premium iPhone family, not just a one‑off experiment. Of course, Apple hasn’t confirmed any of the orders or the specs of the upcoming devices, so we’ll have to wait for an official announcement.

Until then, watch this space. The next wave of iPhones could feel a little cooler – literally – thanks to a bit of water and some clever engineering.