The current iPhone Duo launched without a dedicated telephoto camera, Face ID, or an Action button. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, reporting via 9to5Mac and MacRumors on October 22, Apple is reportedly working to address those gaps across future generations, though not all at once.
A Bigger Screen, Done the Apple Way
The third-generation iPhone Duo could gain more inner display real estate, though the increase appears deliberately modest.
The third-generation iPhone Duo could gain roughly half an inch of inner display, according to Gurman, pushing the panel from the current reported 7.6 inches into the high-seven-inch or very-low-eight-inch range. Gurman specifically noted this would not be an 8.5- or 9-inch screen.
The approach resembles Apple’s incremental Pro Max display expansions rather than any dramatic overhaul. The practical result would be more usable space for multitasking, reading, and video, without a fundamental rethink of the industrial design.
The outer display, based on current reporting, may not change significantly.
The Telephoto Problem Is a Physics Problem
A dedicated telephoto camera is reportedly on Apple’s internal wish list, but the engineering obstacle is real.
A dedicated telephoto camera is reportedly “on their list” for a future iPhone Duo, according to Gurman, but carries no confirmed timetable.
The obstacle is not cost.
Gurman characterized the challenge as physical: a telephoto module requires additional internal depth, and a thin foldable has very little room to spare. The current Duo reportedly uses a 48-megapixel main camera and a 48-megapixel ultrawide, with no dedicated telephoto lens. Sensor-crop zoom exists on the device but is not equivalent to a conventional optical telephoto module; the difference is noticeable when compared against a Pro iPhone’s dedicated zoom capability.
Until Apple finds a way to fit the hardware inside a chassis defined by its hinge and thinness requirements, the telephoto stays on the list rather than on the spec sheet.
Face ID and the Action Button Are Also in the Queue
Both missing features are reportedly under development, with the same root cause standing in the way.
Second-generation iPhone Duo prototypes are reportedly being tested with under-display Face ID hardware, according to MacRumors, though the feature has not been finalized for shipment. Apple is also reportedly considering adding an Action button to a future model, per the same reporting. The current Duo relies on Touch ID integrated into the side button instead.
Both omissions trace back to the same engineering reality. Foldable devices have limited internal depth, which forces tradeoffs across biometric sensors, camera modules, battery layout, and hinge construction.
None of This Is Confirmed
Apple has not officially acknowledged any part of the reported roadmap.
Apple has not confirmed any of these reported developments. The available reporting provides no finalized specifications, release dates, or pricing for any future model.
The most concrete reported change for the third generation is the modest inner display increase. The telephoto camera remains a longer-term possibility with no reported timetable, based on Gurman’s Power On podcast as covered by 9to5Mac and MacRumors.
What It Means If You’re Deciding Now
The camera gap is the most consequential open question for anyone weighing the Duo against a conventional Pro iPhone.
If the first iPhone Duo is already on your shortlist, the reported roadmap offers no confirmed timeline for a meaningful camera upgrade. The telephoto question will ultimately be the clearest test of whether Apple can deliver Pro iPhone camera versatility inside a folding chassis. Until that answer arrives, the Duo’s camera story remains a work in progress.
