Apple may wait until the third generation of its iPhone Duo foldable to add Face ID and a dedicated telephoto camera, according to Mark Gurman. The Bloomberg journalist frames the timing as his own assessment rather than an Apple roadmap, with the upgrades likely dependent on further component miniaturization and computational imaging advances.
The first iPhone Duo measures 5.2mm when unfolded and weighs 254g, leaving limited internal volume for deeper camera and biometric hardware. Apple instead uses Touch ID integrated into the side button and a dual rear-camera system, while its 48-megapixel main camera delivers 2x zoom directly from the sensor rather than through a separate telephoto module.
- Authentication: Touch ID in the side button replaces the Face ID system.
- Cameras: two rear cameras are fitted, with 2x zoom sourced from the 48-megapixel main sensor rather than a dedicated telephoto camera.
- Internal packaging: the thin foldable chassis already accommodates two batteries, a vapor chamber, the hinge and hardware for two displays.
Face ID would require a compact TrueDepth-style sensor assembly, while a telephoto module also takes up significant depth. Gurman expects Apple to address those hardware constraints with smaller components and AI-based processing, rather than simply making a future Duo substantially thicker.
The Duo already has an under-display FaceTime camera on its inner screen, but that camera does not provide the TrueDepth hardware needed for facial authentication. Gurman also believes Apple could first demonstrate a more compact facial-recognition approach in its future smart home hub before bringing it to the foldable line.
If that assessment proves accurate, a second-generation iPhone Duo could focus on refinement while the larger hardware changes arrive with Duo 3. Apple has not confirmed the timing, the hardware changes, or plans for a future smart home device.
