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iPhone Duo 2 prototypes reportedly add Face ID and an Action button

Apple is reportedly already testing iPhone Duo 2 prototypes with Face ID in the outer display and an Action button, per Mark Gurman. What is actually known, and what is not.

Two iPhone Duo devices, one opened like a book showing a video editing app and one folded like a small laptop running a racing game
Two iPhone Duo devices, one opened like a book and one folded like a small laptop | Image: Apple

The iPhone Duo has only just gone on sale, and Apple is reportedly already testing iPhone Duo 2 prototypes with Face ID built into the outer display, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman on his Power On podcast. Gurman also says Apple has explored adding an Action button. None of this is confirmed: iPhone Duo 2 Face ID and the Action button are features reportedly under test on prototypes, not announced plans, and no date, price or launch timing has been reported. This report draws on 9to5Mac's and HardwareZone's write-ups of Gurman's comments; Bloomberg's original is not cited here.

Key takeaways

  • Apple is reportedly testing iPhone Duo 2 prototypes with the Face ID sensor beneath the outer display, per Mark Gurman.
  • Gurman also says employees have explored adding an Action button, though 9to5Mac says he seems less confident about it.
  • The current iPhone Duo uses Touch ID in the side button and has a Camera Control button, but no Face ID and no Action button.
  • Nothing is confirmed. No release date, price or announcement has been reported, and prototype features can be dropped.

What does the iPhone Duo 2 report say?

Face ID in the outer display. According to 9to5Mac, Gurman reports on his Power On podcast that iPhone Duo 2 prototypes inside Apple include Face ID, with the Face ID sensor integrated beneath the display on the outer screen. HardwareZone describes the same report: Apple is testing iPhone Duo 2 prototypes with Face ID embedded in the outer display.

An Action button. On the same episode, 9to5Mac reports, Gurman says employees have been exploring ways to bring the Action button to a next-generation iPhone Duo, although 9to5Mac notes he seems less confident about this one. HardwareZone calls it another possible addition.

HardwareZone sums it up: for now, Face ID and the Action button are potential upgrades Apple is testing, not confirmed features of the next foldable iPhone.

Why the current iPhone Duo lacks both

Face ID. The current Duo has no Face ID. HardwareZone says that is likely because its slim design leaves little room for the TrueDepth camera system, and 9to5Mac says fitting Face ID inside the super-thin enclosure seemed to be the blocker. Instead, Apple's specs list a Touch ID fingerprint sensor built into the side button. 9to5Mac calls the shift from Face ID to Touch ID one of the biggest complaints from early reviewers, and Marques Brownlee raised it in his iPhone Duo review.

The Action button. Apple's specs list a Camera Control button on the current Duo, but no Action button. HardwareZone notes that Camera Control gives quicker access to camera functions, while an Action button could provide a customizable shortcut to selected features and apps. The full specs page lists the Duo's buttons and sensors.

What would the tested changes mean for current owners?

These are the problems the reported prototype changes would address, not promises about a future model:

  • Face ID would remove the Touch ID pause. In 9to5Mac's everyday tasks test, Fernando found a roughly one-second pause before Touch ID unlocks the Duo. Face ID in the outer display would let the phone unlock by looking at it. 9to5Mac adds that it is unclear whether Apple would keep Touch ID alongside Face ID or remove it.
  • An Action button would add a customizable shortcut. It would give the Duo a button that can be set to a feature or app of your choice, alongside Camera Control.

Neither changes anything for the iPhone Duo you can buy today.

When is the iPhone Duo 2 coming out? No date has been reported

Nobody has reported a date. Gurman's reported comments give no release date, price or launch timing, and Apple has not announced a second model. 9to5Mac points out that just because Apple is testing the technology on prototypes now, it is not guaranteed to ship in the next model; its own expectation, not part of Gurman's report, is that Face ID could arrive with the next model or, if development slips, a later one.

What is not known

  • Whether either feature ships. Prototypes test ideas, and features under test can be cut or delayed.
  • Timing and price. No release date or price for an iPhone Duo 2 has been reported.
  • Touch ID's future. It is unclear whether Touch ID would stay if Face ID is added, 9to5Mac says.

For context, the first Duo is still in high demand: HardwareZone reports it remains sold out at many retail stores in Singapore, that Apple has described pre-order demand as "extraordinary," and that Apple has reportedly increased orders. The first-generation model has also had a rocky first week, with Apple acknowledging inner screen cracking on a small number of units.

Frequently asked questions

Will the iPhone Duo 2 have Face ID?

It is not confirmed. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Apple is testing iPhone Duo 2 prototypes with Face ID built beneath the outer display, according to 9to5Mac and HardwareZone. Testing a feature on prototypes does not guarantee it ships, and Apple has announced nothing about a second model.

When is the iPhone Duo 2 coming out?

No release date has been announced or reported. Apple is reportedly testing iPhone Duo 2 prototypes, according to Mark Gurman, but his reported comments give no date, price or launch timing, and Apple has not announced a second model.

Does the iPhone Duo have Face ID?

No. The current iPhone Duo uses Touch ID, with the fingerprint sensor built into the side button, according to Apple's specs. Reporting attributes the lack of Face ID to the phone's slim design leaving little room for the TrueDepth camera system.

What will be different about the iPhone Duo 2?

Nothing is confirmed. Mark Gurman reports that Apple is testing iPhone Duo 2 prototypes with Face ID beneath the outer display, and that employees have explored adding an Action button, a change 9to5Mac says he seems less confident about. Both are features under test, not announced plans.

Sources