Apple Is Working on Face ID Beneath the Screen for Its Next Foldable iPhone
Apple is "actively working" on under-display Face ID, according to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, whose remarks on his Power On podcast were relayed by Engadget on October 22, 2026. Gurman said prototypes of the second-generation foldable, the iPhone Duo 2, already have the technology built into the outer display.
The report concerns a successor to a device Apple has only just begun selling. Apple introduced the iPhone Duo on September 9, 2026, describing it as its first foldable iPhone. Touch ID sits in the side button, so the first-generation model does not use Face ID. Engadget reports that the iPhone Duo also features Apple's first under-display camera.
The current model's other specifications came from Apple and Reuters. Apple says the device delivers its largest iPhone display ever in a foldable design and is the thinnest iPhone ever when opened. Reuters reports that the inner screen measures 7.6 inches, that the device runs Apple's A20 Pro chip, and that pricing starts at $1,999. Apple set pre-orders to begin October 16, with the on-sale date set for October 23, according to Reuters.
Gurman also said the Action button may appear on an eventual iPhone Duo 2, as Engadget reports. Taken together, the two remarks point to a second-generation device that would change both its biometric path and its physical controls, though neither has been announced by Apple.
The timing of the first model was itself a matter of prior expectation. AppleInsider had reported in August that Apple's first foldable iPhone was expected to arrive in September or October 2026, and the device arrived on the September date Apple announced.
Face ID projects infrared light and reads the reflection with a sensor, so it needs a clear optical path, much like a doorbell camera needs an unobstructed view of the porch. Placing that hardware beneath a display means the panel must transmit enough light, and the sensor must read through it without losing recognition accuracy. Gurman's account describes prototypes that have reached the outer display, which is a different stage from a shipping product with a confirmed feature set.
In my view, the most useful way to read this report is as a statement of engineering direction rather than a product date. The first iPhone Duo already carries an under-display camera, so the company has some production experience with that class of component. Moving a depth-sensing array beneath the same kind of panel is a harder step, and the prototype status suggests it is still being tested against that difficulty.
The broader context here is the trade-off a foldable form factor forces on designers. Every millimeter removed from the bezel or the notch returns usable area to the screen, which matters more on a device whose main appeal is a large, thin, unfolded panel. If Apple can keep biometric authentication on the front while removing the cutout, the inner and outer screens would both gain a cleaner surface. Whether that reaches customers in a second-generation device depends on work that is still underway.
