Apple’s iPhone Duo 2 prototypes have Face ID built in beneath the outer display, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. He made the claim on his Power On podcast today. The timing is notable, because the first-generation iPhone Duo goes on sale tomorrow with only a fingerprint sensor in its side button.
Treat this as a report, not a product plan. Gurman says Apple is testing the hardware for a successor expected next fall. He also says Apple hasn’t decided whether Face ID will actually ship in that model. As of October 22, Apple has not commented on the report.
What Gurman says about iPhone Duo 2 and Face ID
In the prototypes Gurman describes, the Face ID sensor sits under the outer screen rather than in a visible cutout. That would give Apple’s foldable the face unlock its first model lacks.
The report also moves the timeline forward. In September, Gurman suggested Face ID and a dedicated telephoto camera could arrive by the third generation, MacRumors reported. The new prototype report points to the second generation instead. Nothing about it is final yet.
Early reviewers had complaints about the side-button Touch ID, which we covered in our iPhone Duo review roundup. One question the report leaves open was raised by 9to5Mac. It asked whether Apple would keep side-button Touch ID alongside Face ID on a future model.
An Action button is a maybe
Gurman also says Apple employees have explored adding an Action button to a next-generation Duo. According to 9to5Mac, he sounds less sure about this than about Face ID. For now, it’s an idea under discussion rather than a planned feature.
Should you buy the first iPhone Duo or wait?
The first iPhone Duo launches Friday, October 23, starting at $1,999. That’s a lot to spend if face unlock matters to you and a better-equipped model may follow in a year. Still, Apple hasn’t committed to Face ID for the next Duo, so waiting is a bet rather than a sure upgrade.
Getting one this week may not be easy anyway. Gurman reported earlier that Apple knew iPhone Duo supply was too tight. Launch day also brings limited US walk-in availability, with none in India or China.
Source: Mark Gurman, Bloomberg Power On, via 9to5Mac, MacRumors
