• News

The iPhone Duo doesn't come with Face ID but Apple Intelligence could change that for future versions.
Photo: Apple

iPhone Duo doesn’t use Face ID, but adding facial recognition to the foldable is reportedly on Apple’s roadmap. And so is the third camera that so many people want!

A new report says facial recognition and a telephoto camera are Apple’s top priorities for future versions of its new folding phone. Apple Intelligence could be the key to both.

Why iPhone Duo Face ID needs an AI assist

Apple packed the foldable iPhone Duo, which opens for preorders on October 16, with an impressive collection of features despite its ultra-thin design. But that slim profile comes with unavoidable hardware compromises. There’s simply less physical space inside the foldable for components such as a TrueDepth system (to power Face ID) or a longer telephoto lens (like the iPhone 18 Pro has).

Right now, the iPhone Duo leans on Touch ID and digital zoom instead. But there’s hope for the future. In his most recent Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says Face ID and a telephoto camera are the top two priorities for future iPhone Duo models.

Gurman says Apple might manage to cram in both by the third-generation iPhone Duo in a couple of years. And the fix won’t come from smaller hardware alone.

He says Apple Intelligence‘s advanced image processing could let Apple use smaller depth-sensing hardware and cameras to power Face ID and a better zoom. The AI reportedly would make up the difference computationally. And we may soon get a preview of that approach.

Apple’s much-rumored smart-home hub reportedly features facial-recognition technology. That could tell us how a slimmer Face ID system might eventually work on the iPhone Duo.

• See also: Looks like iPhone Duo avoided the curse of the crease

The physics problem

Squeezing Face ID and a telephoto lens into the Duo isn’t just a software challenge. Gurman says it’s “fundamentally a physics problem,” since both components need real depth to work.

Face ID uses the TrueDepth camera system, which projects thousands of invisible dots to map your face, while a telephoto lens needs more internal length to get optical zoom.

But these requirements clash with the Duo’s razor-thin design. The foldable’s open profile measures just 5.2 mm thick. There’s little room for extra hardware.

Component miniaturization should close that gap a little in the next few years. Combine that with Apple’s AI push, and the future iPhone Duo starts to look like a more complete iPhone.

Foldables could get cheap over time, too

Price is another barrier holding back foldables, but that’s expected to ease gradually. The iPhone Duo currently starts at $1,999, making it the most expensive iPhone ever made.

The Apple Upgrade leasing program could help attract buyers. It’s currently limited to the United States, but Gurman says Apple will eventually expand it to other countries.

• See also: 6 things you need to know before signing an Apple Upgrade lease

History suggests component costs will fall, too. Back in 2017, an iPhone with Face ID and an OLED screen cost $999. Now, you can buy a similar device (the iPhone 17e) for as low as $699 even after Apple’s recent price bump.

None of this means a cheaper, more capable iPhone Duo is coming next year. But the direction Apple is taking is clear: It wants Face ID, real zoom and a lower price on its foldable. And it’s betting on AI to get there.

• See also: iPhone Duo merges iPhone and iPad into one brilliant device