Apple Tests iPhone Duo 2 With Under-Display Face ID and Returning Action Button, Report Says

The first-generation iPhone Duo went on sale with a starting price of 15,999 yuan. ifanr reported that offline store reservations were full and official website orders were scheduled for late January next year. The launch has drawn buyers despite the price.

The first Duo replaced Face ID with a side-mounted Touch ID sensor, a change that affects daily unlocking. ifanr's review said users accustomed to Face ID often look at the screen and swipe up before realizing they need to move a finger to the power button. On a device that is 84.1 mm wide when folded and 164.6 mm wide when open, reaching the side button can be awkward, especially in one-handed use. The capacitive fingerprint sensor is limited by the button size and can be sensitive to contact position and finger condition, including sweat or shallow fingerprint ridges.

The report attributed the trade-off to space. The Duo is 5.2 mm thick when unfolded, leaving about 5 mm of internal depth on one side of the outer screen after accounting for the OLED panel, hinge parts and frame. ifanr said that space cannot accommodate the existing Face ID optical module, making the side fingerprint sensor the practical option for unlocking in both folded and open states.

Putting Face ID under the display is also difficult. ifanr cited iFixit's teardown of the iPhone 18 Pro, which found Apple hid only the infrared camera under the screen even though the phone is nearly 8 mm thick; Apple removed some display pixels to create a light path. A foldable with roughly 5 mm of thickness on one side faces a greater challenge.

The second reported change is the return of the Action Button. ifanr said the first Duo kept the camera control button but omitted the Action Button, removing a shortcut used for quick notes, scanning codes, turning on the flashlight or muting the phone without looking. After switching to the Duo, those habits no longer worked, and users had to wake the screen and open Control Center for shortcuts.

The timing remains distant. ifanr cited Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg's supply-chain tracking as saying the second-generation iPhone Duo is expected in 2027, with a larger follow-up in 2028. Gurman said on the podcast that Face ID may need one or two iterations before it reaches the product.

For buyers considering the first Duo, ifanr outlined different reasons to wait. Waiting for supply to normalize targets price: official shipments are scheduled for January, but ifanr reported that secondary-market premiums had fallen sharply and some scalpers had paused buying because prices were moving quickly.

Waiting for app adaptation targets the 7.6-inch inner display. ifanr's early tests found many mainstream apps still used simple scaling or centered letterboxing, and WeChat not adapted briefly became a top search topic. On the launch day, WeChat released version 8.0.80; ifanr tested it and said the app now supports left-right split-screen view when the phone is open.

Waiting for under-display Face ID and the Action Button means waiting for the next hardware generation. ifanr said production capacity and app ecosystems can catch up, but physical limits cannot be bypassed. It suggested that prospective buyers visit a store to open and close the screen and test side-button unlocking and controls before deciding whether they accept the compromises. It added that users who prioritize seamless Face ID, blind Action Button use and a telephoto lens may wait one or two generations.