Apple is expected to focus on bringing Face ID and a telephoto camera to future versions of its iPhone Duo, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The first-generation model launched without those features, a decision Gurman attributes to the physical constraints of the device's design.

What Gurman expects for the third generation

Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said his best guess is that Apple will lean on a mix of component miniaturization and advances in artificial intelligence to squeeze Face ID and a telephoto lens into a third-generation iPhone Duo. That approach, he explained, would let Apple rely on smaller, less sophisticated depth-sensing and camera hardware while compensating for the shortfall through computational processing.

In practice, that means the sensors themselves may not match the capabilities found in Apple's flagship iPhones, but software and AI could help close the gap. It is a strategy Apple has increasingly used across its camera systems, where computational photography plays a growing role in the final image.

Why the first iPhone Duo skipped these features

The iPhone Duo debuted with Touch ID rather than Face ID, and with a dual rear camera system instead of a setup that includes a dedicated telephoto lens. Gurman suggests these omissions were likely driven by the space and hardware limitations of the device rather than a lack of interest from Apple.

Face ID requires a TrueDepth camera module that takes up meaningful internal space, and a telephoto lens adds thickness and complexity to a camera array. In a device where every millimeter matters, those trade-offs can be difficult to accommodate in early hardware generations.

Why it matters

For potential buyers, the report frames the current iPhone Duo as an early product that may see significant upgrades in later revisions. Face ID has become the standard authentication method across most of Apple's lineup, and a telephoto lens is a common expectation for users who want optical zoom for photography. Their absence marks a clear point of differentiation between the Duo and Apple's mainstream iPhones.

The timeline also underscores how Apple tends to iterate on new form factors. Features that are missing at launch often arrive once the underlying components shrink and mature. If Gurman's prediction holds, the third-generation model could narrow the feature gap considerably.

The iPhone Duo officially launches on October 23. The expectations around Face ID and a telephoto lens remain forward-looking predictions from Gurman rather than confirmed Apple plans, so they should be treated as informed speculation about where the product line may head.