Apple is already testing a second-generation iPhone Duo with Face ID built beneath the outer display, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. MacRumors and 9to5Mac relayed the report, which Gurman made on his Power On podcast.
What Gurman says
Prototypes of the follow-up model reportedly include the depth-sensing hardware needed for Face ID. Gurman said, however, that Apple has not finalized whether the feature will make it into the shipping product, so the plan could still change. He described the device as a successor expected next fall.
The first iPhone Duo relies on a fingerprint sensor in its side button, similar to the approach Apple uses on iPad. Reviewers have already pointed to Touch ID as one of the model's more noticeable trade-offs. Gurman's explanation is that the Duo's very thin body leaves little room for the components that Face ID requires, which is why engineering work on smaller parts matters here.
A longer-running theme
The report fits with an earlier prediction from Gurman. In September he suggested that miniaturized components and advances in AI could allow Apple to add Face ID, along with a dedicated telephoto camera, by the third generation of the product. The latest comments suggest that timeline may be moving up, at least inside Apple's labs.
Gurman also said Apple is considering an Action button for a future iPhone Duo. The current model does not have one.
Context
All of this is unconfirmed. Apple has not commented on future iPhone Duo hardware, and prototypes often differ from final products or never ship at all. The report arrives a day before the first iPhone Duo goes on sale, with pricing starting at $1,999 according to MacRumors.
For now, anyone buying the original model should expect Touch ID rather than Face ID. Whether the second generation changes that will depend on whether Apple can fit the sensing hardware into a device this thin without compromising its design.
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