Key takeaways
- Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says Apple is testing iPhone Duo 2 prototypes with Face ID under the outer display, plus a possible Action button. A telephoto camera is “on the list” but hard because of physics. The second generation is expected around fall 2027.
- The report came one day before the first iPhone Duo went on sale at $1,999. In September, Gurman said Face ID would come with the third generation.
- My view: this is speculation, not news. And if Face ID and a telephoto camera do come, the Duo 2 will be even thicker. Physics does not do miracles.
One day before the first iPhone Duo went on sale, the talk already moved to the second one. On his Power On podcast, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said Apple is testing iPhone Duo 2 prototypes with Face ID under the outer display. The current Duo uses Touch ID in the side button, because its thin design leaves little room for the depth-sensing parts Face ID needs. Apple has not decided whether the feature will ship. The second generation is expected around fall 2027.
Gurman also said Apple is exploring an Action button, which the Duo lacks. A telephoto camera is “on their list,” but he called it hard to do because of physics, the depth the lens needs, not cost. Further out, a later model could get an inner display about half an inch larger, roughly 7.9 to 8.1 inches instead of 7.6. Back in September, Gurman said Face ID and a telephoto camera would come with the third generation. Now he talks about the second.
In this article: Gurman wrote it. That does not make it true · Face ID and telephoto mean a thicker Duo · Did Apple hold back Face ID on purpose? No · I never buy the first generation · A “wow” article for launch day · People won’t cancel because of Gurman · iPhone XXXXXXL · The Duo opens at home · FAQ
Gurman wrote it. That does not make it true
Just because Mark Gurman talks about it does not mean it is true right away. He says himself that physics makes it quite hard. And when we look at the Duo now, when it is closed, it is one of the thickest and heaviest phones on the market, at least that is how it feels to me. Closed, it is 11.3 mm thick and weighs 254 grams, more than the iPhone 18 Pro Max, as I wrote in my article on the Duo reviews.
That a new model is barely on sale and Gurman already writes about the next generation is normal. We see it every year. As soon as a model goes on sale, the speculation about the next one starts. And we have to write about it, because our hunger for a new model is always the biggest: more and more new things. Until fall 2027 there will be so much speculation that I can say one thing for sure: the season of rumors about the second generation is open.
Face ID and telephoto mean a thicker Duo
If Apple thinks about Face ID and a telephoto camera, you can imagine what the phone will look like when it is closed. And I am also talking about the open phone: it will not be that thin anymore, or Apple will make some bump on the phone where it puts Face ID and the telephoto camera.
For Apple this is normal. Look at the iPhone Air: the whole phone is absolutely beautiful, and then the part with the camera is quite thick. So I don’t expect the second generation with Face ID to be that beautiful. Physically, we have to be ready for an even thicker phone. You cannot want a telephoto camera and the same thin phone. That does not work.
And Samsung is already using the Duo’s weight against Apple and saying its Fold 8 is a hit. I can imagine how the competitors will laugh at Apple next. That really won’t be nice.
| iPhone Duo (now) | iPhone Duo 2 (rumor) | |
|---|---|---|
| Unlock | Touch ID in side button | Face ID under the display (testing) |
| Action button | No | Being explored |
| Telephoto camera | No | “On the list,” no timing |
| Thickness closed | 11.3 mm | ? |
| Weight | 254 g | ? |
| Expected | On sale Oct 23, 2026 | Around fall 2027 |
Did Apple hold back Face ID on purpose? No
I am sure Apple did not do this on purpose. The facts say the opposite: years of work on the Duo show they worked very hard on the details. As a folding phone, it really is the most beautiful one, in my opinion. But I am not saying it is the best for $2,000.
There is no Face ID, and the front camera, when the phone is open, I won’t even talk about it. It is terrible, because it hides behind the pixels. MacRumors also reported that the hidden camera in the inner display takes “trash” photos.
So this is more about physics not allowing Apple to make an ugly phone, while Apple could not afford an ugly first generation. Later, they will do it. Even if the design changes because of Face ID and other technical things, the phone will already defend itself. So we keep waiting: the further we go, the thicker the Duo.
I never buy the first generation
Do I buy first generations? No. And I am more and more sure that not buying them is the best thing I do. Even before today’s launch, what I see on YouTube is terrible. From the outside it is beautiful to the last detail, but inside there are a lot of compromises.
A “wow” article for launch day
In September Gurman said the third generation, now he says the second. On the first day of sales of the first generation, I think Mark just wanted to make some “wow” article and start the speculation. That is normal. But I don’t recommend anyone believe it. Anyone can write what they want now, and closer to the summer we will know more.
People won’t cancel because of Gurman
Will people cancel pre-orders because of this news? Not just because of this. More likely because of the bloggers, who are now allowed to publish their Duo reviews. People will say: I won’t pay $2,000 as the starting price for this version. It is not worth it. It has too many minuses compared with what people are used to.
I saw a video where it looks like unlocking with Touch ID is slower. Maybe it is so you can see your notifications on the display, but I cannot claim that. It is more about our comfort: we all got used to Face ID. Then add the camera from older models, and what we basically get is an iPad mini that folds. At this price, it is not worth buying.
iPhone XXXXXXL
A bigger Duo with an 8-inch screen? I have a feeling that soon an iPad mini with just a SIM card for calls will be enough, and that’s it. It could be called the iPhone XXXXXXL. And people, as we see, even need it, when everywhere there is talk about bigger and bigger displays. So what are normal phones for?
If the Duo is already big and it gets even bigger, we will probably need not two hands but three: two to hold the display and a third to touch and work with it. That is madness, such a big display.
The Duo opens at home
A telephoto camera is “hard because of physics.” But the Duo is not that thin when it is closed. And most of the day the phone will be closed: at work, on the way. I think you will open it at home, in private. I don’t think you want to show everyone in public what you are watching and who you are chatting with.
As for physics and the telephoto lens, we have to accept that the phone will be thick. You cannot want a telephoto lens and a phone just as thin. But until fall 2027 there will be so many rumors on the market that everything will change a thousand times, from Gurman and from every other leaker.
Also on Evolt News: iPhone Duo orders up 44%? Take it with a grain of salt · iPhone Duo sold out in 30 minutes
Photo: Apple.
This article is opinion.
iPhone Duo 2: FAQ
Will the iPhone Duo 2 have Face ID?
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is testing iPhone Duo 2 prototypes with Face ID under the outer display. Apple has not decided whether the feature will ship.
Why doesn’t the iPhone Duo have Face ID?
The first iPhone Duo is too thin for the depth-sensing components Face ID needs, so it uses Touch ID in the side button.
When will the iPhone Duo 2 come out?
The second-generation iPhone Duo is expected around fall 2027. Apple has not announced it.
Will the iPhone Duo 2 have a telephoto camera?
Gurman says a telephoto camera is on Apple’s list but hard to do because of physics, the depth the lens needs. There is no timing.
Will there be a bigger iPhone Duo?
Gurman says Apple is looking at an inner display about half an inch larger, roughly 7.9 to 8.1 inches instead of 7.6, for a later model, not a separate Max version.
Sources: Bloomberg (Mark Gurman, Power On), MacRumors, 9to5Mac, 9to5Google.
Our Take
Gurman says the iPhone Duo 2 could get Face ID under the display, one day after the first Duo went on sale. For me it is speculation, and the season of rumors is open until fall 2027.
One thing physics makes sure of: with Face ID and a telephoto camera, the Duo 2 will be even thicker. I am not buying the first generation, and I am not sure I would buy the second.
