Apple is reportedly testing Face ID beneath the outer display of iPhone Duo 2, raising a practical question for anyone considering the next foldable: will the second-generation model finally unlock with a glance, or will it retain the current phone’s side-button Touch ID sensor?
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has said Apple engineers are actively working on under-display Face ID and that internal iPhone Duo 2 prototypes already contain the technology. That is a meaningful sign of Apple’s intentions, but a prototype is not a guarantee that the feature will appear in the device customers can buy.
The information itself is not new: we first covered Apple’s iPhone Duo 2 Face ID testing in October. The bigger question now is what it would take to bring facial recognition to a folding phone with two very different ways of being used.
Why doesn’t the current iPhone Duo have Face ID?
The first iPhone Duo uses a Touch ID sensor built into its side button. It works with the device folded or unfolded, giving Apple one authentication method that does not depend on which screen faces the user. That is particularly useful in a phone designed to switch frequently between a compact outer screen and a larger inner display.
Face ID presents a more complicated engineering problem. Apple’s facial-recognition system requires depth-sensing hardware, and the Duo’s exceptionally thin design leaves little room for additional components. Even if Apple can fit Face ID beneath the outer display, deciding how authentication should work when the phone is unfolded is another question.
Apple has already moved some facial-recognition hardware beneath the display on the iPhone 18 Pro, reducing the visible Dynamic Island. That progress makes a more compact Face ID system plausible, but it does not establish that Apple’s foldable is ready for the same implementation.
Will iPhone Duo 2 replace Touch ID with Face ID?
There are several possible outcomes. Apple could replace Touch ID entirely, retain both methods or delay Face ID until a later generation. Bloomberg’s reporting does not establish which approach Apple will choose, and it remains unclear whether Face ID on the outer screen alone would meet the company’s goals for a device that also works as a small tablet.
A two-method approach could offer flexibility, although it would add hardware complexity. Keeping Touch ID would let owners authenticate with the device open and without aiming a particular screen toward their face. Moving exclusively to Face ID might make day-to-day unlocking feel more familiar to owners of conventional flagship iPhones, but only if the experience works reliably in both configurations.
Gurman has suggested that Apple may resolve the Face ID limitation in the first or second update to the Duo lineup. That puts the feature in contention for iPhone Duo 2, but also leaves open the possibility of a later arrival. A rumored Action button and possible camera improvements are among the other changes Apple has reportedly considered for future models.
Is Face ID a reason to wait for iPhone Duo 2?
For buyers who strongly prefer Face ID, the testing is a reason to follow the next generation closely, not a reason to assume the upgrade is confirmed. The first iPhone Duo already provides biometric authentication through Touch ID, and Face ID would mainly change how conveniently and consistently users unlock the device and approve secure actions.
The choice also depends on whether the foldable design’s other trade-offs matter more. Apple is reportedly exploring a larger display for a future iPhone Duo, while unverified design leaks have shown why early rumors need scrutiny. None of these possibilities should be treated as a finalized specification.
The strongest takeaway from the current reporting is that Apple recognizes Face ID as an upgrade worth engineering for its foldable lineup. Whether it arrives on iPhone Duo 2, and whether Touch ID stays alongside it, remain open questions.
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