Apple Tests Iphone Duo 2 Prototypes With Face ID Integration
WHO:
Engadget - Apple is developing prototypes for a next-generation iPhone Duo.
9to5Mac - Mark Gurman reported on his *Power On* podcast that Apple employees are testing iPhone Duo 2 prototypes.
9to5Mac - 9to5Mac reviewer Chance Miller described switching from Face ID to Touch ID on the first-generation iPhone Duo as “the hardest thing to get used to.”
WHAT:
MacRumors - Apple is considering adding a dedicated telephoto camera to a future iPhone Duo.
MacRumors - The current iPhone Duo uses a fingerprint sensor embedded in its side button, like the iPad.
MacRumors - The first iPhone Duo has a starting price of $1,999.
Engadget - Apple’s first foldable phone uses a feature it had replaced on most iPhone models nearly 10 years ago.
9to5Mac - iPhone Duo 2 prototypes include Face ID, with its sensor integrated beneath the outer display.
9to5Mac - Reviewers raised the switch from Face ID to Touch ID as one of the first-generation iPhone Duo’s biggest complaints.
9to5Mac - Gurman said employees have explored adding the Action button to a next-generation iPhone Duo, but he appeared less confident about that feature.
9to5Mac - Apple has not established whether a model with Face ID would retain the Touch ID sensor in its power button or offer both biometric methods.
WHERE:
9to5Mac - The Face ID sensor in the prototypes is positioned beneath the iPhone Duo 2’s outer screen.
WHEN:
MacRumors - Apple is testing hardware for a successor expected next fall; the article does not say whether Face ID will ship.
9to5Mac - Apple is testing iPhone Duo 2 prototypes internally; the article says it is not certain when or whether the technology will ship.
9to5Mac - The article says Face ID could arrive in the next iPhone Duo revision or, if development slips, in iPhone Duo 3.
WHY:
MacRumors - The first iPhone Duo’s thin design leaves limited room for Face ID’s depth-sensing components.
9to5Mac - The first-generation iPhone Duo’s thin enclosure appeared to prevent Apple from fitting Face ID inside it.
9to5Mac - Apple is working to make Face ID smaller and less obtrusive.
HOW:
MacRumors - Mark Gurman previously suggested smaller components and advances in artificial intelligence could help Apple add Face ID and a dedicated telephoto camera by the third generation.
9to5Mac - Apple may place the infrared camera and flood illuminator behind the display, potentially reducing the bezel or Dynamic Island cutout.
9to5Mac - The iPhone 18 Pro has an under-display infrared camera, cited as an example of Apple’s work on smaller Face ID components.
(UPDATED October 23, 2026 01:32 UTC)
Apple is testing prototypes of a second-generation iPhone Duo, with Face ID among the potential upgrades. The facial-recognition sensor is positioned beneath the outer display, a change that could address a major complaint about the first model, which replaced Face ID with a fingerprint sensor in its side button. That switch was one of the hardest adjustments for reviewers. The Duo’s thin design left little room for Face ID’s depth-sensing components, so Apple is working to make the technology smaller and less obtrusive. The prototypes may also include a dedicated telephoto camera, while employees have explored adding the Action button. Apple has not decided whether a Face ID model would keep Touch ID as well. A successor is expected next fall, but it is unclear whether Face ID will be ready then or arrive in a later generation. The first iPhone Duo starts at $1,999.
--
(UPDATED October 22, 2026 17:18 UTC)
Apple is testing prototypes of a second-generation iPhone Duo with Face ID built beneath the outer display, potentially restoring a feature missing from its first foldable phone. The original Duo uses Touch ID in its power button, a change reviewers described as one of the hardest adjustments for people accustomed to Face ID. Apple’s thin design reportedly left too little room for the facial recognition system. The new prototypes place Face ID components, including an infrared camera, behind the screen, which could reduce the need for a bezel or Dynamic Island cutout. Apple is working to make the sensors smaller and less noticeable; the iPhone 18 Pro’s under-display infrared camera is one example of that effort. It remains unclear whether Face ID will ship in the next Duo or arrive later, and whether Touch ID will remain.