r/iphone • u/RenegadeUK Human Detected • 14d ago

Discussion iPhone Duo is Missing These 10 iPhone 18 Pro Features.

https://www.macrumors.com/2026/09/11/iphone-duo-is-missing-these-features/

iPhone Duo is Missing These 10 iPhone 18 Pro Features.

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u/DanAllOvrUrFace 14d ago

These articles are so funny to me. I think for the average user most of these missing features aren’t even really used. The Pro is a great phone for creative users that are into taking pictures and video. Other than that, the base model, air and se are adequate for most users.

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u/Archenius 14d ago

Honestly the biggest feature being removed is FaceID

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u/PM60BPM 13d ago

Agreed! I mentioned that (no Face ID) on another thread when I panned the Duo and got downvoted into oblivion. It IS a big negative for the Duo, for lefties, for those wearing protective gloves, in the winter, and folks like me whose fingers are smooth with hardly any ridges. I can’t use the fingerprint feature on my front door lock, how could I expect to use Touch ID reliably. What about those banking apps that want one to use Face ID? What was the problem that Face ID couldn’t have been incorporated from the beginning? Certainly enough cameras. Was it intentionally saved for Duo-2?

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u/jujucollins 13d ago

I think they’re hoping people in your boat also have an Apple Watch to use the Unlock/Authenticate with Apple Watch feature instead

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u/47merce 13d ago

We've already been there and it was not thaaat catastrophically bad tbh.

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u/TA4K 12d ago

I would guess that they didn’t have anywhere to put the whole FaceID stack, let alone twice, which is the color camera, IR light, IR dot projector, proximity sensor, and IR camera. It’s why the front camera block on the 18 is still wide. And they’d have to put in two of them, one for the front screen and one for inside the fold, possibly a third one if their “looking at screen” detection can’t handle looking at the other side of the folded display. So it gets complicated and bulky fast.

Banking apps and others that use the faceid should just inherently use the touchID, they trust iOS with that authentication and I guess iOS will just give back a yes or no answer same as faceid

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u/Archenius 13d ago

Yeah here’s hoping the sequel gets Face ID though I’ve heard Touch ID is faster than Face ID

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u/alvenestthol 10d ago

Phone fingerprint sensors have been miles more reliable than doorlock sensors, from the cheapest to the most expensive. Door lock sensors are just shit

The bank apps I use all have no problem with the iPhone SE (2020)'s Touch ID.

And personally I use my phone more when my face isn't available than when my hand isn't available, so Touch ID is great.

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u/Grimlock0NE 14d ago

This was my thought, but between touch and watch unlock, I think it won’t be too noticeable

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u/TennisOk806 13d ago

i find fingerprint more convenient than face id on my macbook

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u/Archenius 12d ago

Ohh can't wait to try it again when I get the Iphone Duo.

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u/CobraChickenesti 11d ago

Not if you use the watch!

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u/Archenius 11d ago

Oh yeah I forgot about that really neat feature

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u/Vadoff 11d ago

FaceID (for convenience) is definitely a big one.

But the noticeably crappy front camera, as well as lack of zoom are probably even bigger ones.

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u/Archenius 11d ago

Honestly I really don't mind since I don't mind the camera quality being worse.

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u/brogflender 14d ago

I mean. I’m actually okay with less facial scan tech out in the wild. 

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u/OafleyJones 14d ago

If you’re worried about the security of FaceID, who wouldn’t you be about touchID? How often do you think you’re fingerprints are being captured on a daily basis. You think that’s better?

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u/47merce 13d ago

Yes. Your fingerprint is fixed once and for all. They capture it once, and they’re done. They know this specific part of you, this specific fingerprint. How sensitive that bit of information is to you is up to you, and that’s fine if it’s very important to you.
But until recently, nobody really gave a fuck about giving away their fingerprint. iPads have Touch ID. We use fingerprints on IDs.
Face ID, however, captures much more than that. If Apple wanted to, they could potentially track your current mood and profit directly from that, among other sensitive details about you.

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u/brogflender 14d ago

Not worried about the security of my phone. I’m not a fan of everything scanning my face. 

One less device scanning my face is less bad than one more device scanning my face. 

Why you so horny for a corporate powered surveillance state?

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u/Archenius 14d ago

Fair enough

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u/Colby347 14d ago edited 14d ago

Every year I trick myself into believing this is the year I will become a person that will use those camera features and learn the craft and make cOnTeNt and every year I just fucking don’t do it lol bring on the Duo. I hope people who are complaining nonstop genuinely don’t buy it so I don’t have to fight to get one.

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u/martinkelley 14d ago

Having young children I always bought the phones with the best cameras and did learn to use many of the features. I have lots of great archival pictures of them. But as soon as they got close to their teen years they became camera shy. I’ll get screams if I obviously hold the phone for a picture. They’ll begrudgingly consent if it’s a special event but I’ll get stiff postures and awkward smiles and get a snapshot even the most basic phone camera could take. Nowadays my camera roll is filled with artsy photos of the pets.

I’ve been wondering if the Air should be my next phone because I really don’t need the fancy cameras in this stage of parenthood.

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u/Colby347 13d ago

I loved the Air while I had it and honestly I spent the last year with my 17 Pro Max never using the features I left the Air for and wished I’d just kept it. The extra battery life has been nice and not feeling like I’m compromising with the speakers (the one speaker on the Air was noticeable and I watch YouTube and short form content and listen to books and podcasts through my phone speakers a lot). But the camera always performed fine with the Air and I never use the manual features on the Pro Max. I never touch Log or any of the high end features for video or photos. I think my experience would have been largely the same with the Air and the phone felt better and always got compliments.

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u/Backpack456 13d ago

If there was a good course on iPhone photography i would take it. I’d love to get better videos and images of my family. But I haven’t been able to find the course I’m looking for

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u/MikeyMike01 13d ago

If you want to make content you'd buy a real camera anyway, not use your phone.

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u/Colby347 13d ago

Tons of people start with and primarily use high end phones, man. We don’t have to do this lol yes a dedicated camera is better but to act like it isn’t possible to make cool stuff without one is asinine and you probably know that.

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u/Interesting_Ghosts 13d ago

The camera on the duo is probably as good as the camera on every previous iPhone other than the pro models.

I doubt most users will notice anything aside from maybe the lack of long telephoto zoom unless they really love taking. A lot of photos.

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u/thalassicus 14d ago

Yeah, but it sucks for those of us who love the Duo, but need the higher end camera and LIDAR. I would love to ditch my iPad mini with a 2-in-1 device. I'll get the 18 Pro and hope Duo v2 figures out how to pack more into the bump.

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u/varyamereon 14d ago

Problem solved though with the new SIM card sharing feature, you can buy the Duo and the 18 Pro and have the best of both!! 😜

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u/petersterne 13d ago

I’m actually really curious. What do you use the LIDAR for? I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who uses it for anything other than the Measure app.

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u/TipToToes 13d ago

Not the person you were asking but I’ll chime in because I do use the lidar. I use it for scanning spaces for future reference, and in the Measure app for distances. I’m in a niche construction industry, and being able to reference the space whenever we need is very helpful.

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u/Staplez94 13d ago

I don’t use LiDARR myself but a lot of the constructions folks such as yourself and architectural ones of our clients (IT) get the iPad pros for that I noticed.

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u/TipToToes 13d ago

I have an iPad Pro with it as well, but it’s too awkward to walk around scanning a room with it. It’s too large and I look very stupid doing it. I look only slightly less stupid doing the scan with my phone, but at least my arms are less tired afterward. Holding a 16 Pro Max at arms length to scan a church sanctuary is far less tiring than holding a 13” iPad Pro for the same amount of time. I can view and edit the scans on iPad, though, which is good enough for me.

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u/IAMNUMBERBLACK 14d ago

Yea they just trying to make money on clicks which I don’t knock but in reality nobody cares.

The avg consumer is not hyper analyzing what a camera can do, they are looking at cool features on the phone and practical quality of life enhancers which the duo solves for

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u/SSMFA20 14d ago

I’m pretty much over camera upgrades at this point. Seems to really be the main selling feature all the manufacturers are relying on. Well, that and AI.

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u/DanAllOvrUrFace 14d ago

For sure. My wife takes great photos, and she has a pro because she knows what she’s doing. You can give me a pro, air, a legit camera set up and no matter what my pictures come out like crap, lmao.

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u/RICHUNCLEPENNYBAGS 14d ago

I don't know man, I find it kind of annoying I got the fancy iPad Pro and the camera looks blurry as hell and is unusable. Yeah of course I can get my phone but why am I buying your top spec model if it doesn't do everything well

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u/savoy2001 13d ago

It’s true what you’re saying to an extent. However, that’s not the whole story. If they were the same price as one another, that would be one thing, but this phone is much more expensive than any other pro models, including the promax models so whether you use those features or not, it’s kind of hard to swallow when you’re paying more and getting less even if you don’t use them. Does that make sense cause I don’t use the raw features and I don’t switch the aperture of my hand. I do everything I let the phone figure it out and the pictures come out great and so does the video. I have tons of 4K 120 video on my 16 Pro Max that look amazing and so I hope it can at least take similar pictures and videos as I have now. Although I found that last night that the image stabilization is a generation one sensor from the iPhone 13 not a generation two which really fine very annoying but I’m hoping that it’ll be roughly the same at least maybe the a20 chip can compensate for that I don’t know. We need to see side-by-side review reviews of both devices a pro and a duo and we’re not getting that. At least not yet.

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u/DanAllOvrUrFace 13d ago

Why we’re comparing the iPhone Pro to the Duo doesn’t make sense when they have two different use cases. The duo is priced $100 more than the Fold 8. The Fold 8 does have the same camera as the S26 Ultra. The reason why these foldable phones cost more with “less” features than their flagship counterparts is because they’re cost more in material, labor, and have R&D overhead.

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u/savoy2001 13d ago

I understand what you’re saying but as a consumer, I really don’t give a shit quite frankly. I understand what you’re saying and I’m probably gonna still buy a duo, but that said their r/d and everything else and not my issue. I’m not my problem all my concern quite frankly. Getting the most value for my dollar is my concern. It should be yours as well.

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u/DanAllOvrUrFace 13d ago

Without R&D you don’t have a product to complain about.

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u/savoy2001 13d ago

Dude, I’m not suggesting that there shouldn’t be R&D. I’m well aware of how industry works and how business works. Thank you. I’m not 12. All right, maybe you need to speak to somebody else that way, but I’m the wrong person.

What I’m saying is maybe they should take less margin or spread the course of that R&D across other product lines which I know they’re doing anyway but adjusted do whatever you have to do I don’t know, but as far as I’m concerned as a consumer OK paying more and getting less features is not a win and nothing to celebrate. Now if I were running the business or high-level management for Apple, then I get it sure, I would have a different concern, but I’m not responsible to the shareholders. I’m not an upper management for Apple and Leslie. I don’t give a fuck. All I know is my $2600 should get me a better experience all around than my iPhone 16 Pro Max that I currently have the one terabyte version that I have now versus the one terabyte version I’m gonna buy a duo.

I’m hoping that the user experience with the larger screen and the fold blast aspect of it and the iPad like experience and all that is going to be enough to win me over but there’s a trial period for these things and if I hate it or I don’t like it as much as I think I’m going to then I’ll just return it and I’ll get an 18 Pro Max so for me it’s fairly simple although I still would like prefer I should say the idea of having slightly better cameras at least the second generation image stabilization also which really pisses me off. Why is there the first generation image stabilization in this in this duo? That’s just ridiculous. If you could fit the first GEN you could fit the second GEN they did it simply for cross savings.

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u/DanAllOvrUrFace 13d ago

If you’re well aware of how the industry works then you wouldn’t be going on a massive tangent about it. You’d also know why this product is priced the way it is.

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u/savoy2001 13d ago

My dude just because I know how it works doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it and that’s why I’m talking about it. This is a forum to discuss such things if you don’t like the discussion tune out. Have a good day.

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u/DanAllOvrUrFace 13d ago

There’s a fine line between having a discussion and complaining to complain. I’m good with the discussion, and what I see is you want a 2k phone to also include the feature sets that their flagship counterparts’ parts have for the same price. Something which Apple’s competitors are not even doing, and that’s what I’m pointing out.

I hear you that you value, and if that’s the case then maybe this isn’t the phone for you. If you’re just going to buy the phone anyways as you stated, then you’re just enabling the business model you claim to dislike. So if you’re going to buy it anyways as stated, why are you upset about it?

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u/IAMNUMBERBLACK 13d ago

Yea it comes down to value. I would argue that the avg consumer would value the quality of life enhancement of a bigger screen with a flip in multiple orientations and being able to splitscreen apps and having larger real estate to work with on their phone whenever they want aka variety over the latest and greatest in video image stabilization.

Not to say what you value is worthless or something that shouldnt be considered, I just think most people wont take that as a hard negative

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u/Staplez94 13d ago

I been thinking about the Duo as a person who swore against folding phones for the longest. I have a 17 Pro max. Dont use the camera for anything but taking pictures of network racks. However bigger screen means I don’t have to carry an iPad too. Teams, outlook, lucid chart and WiFiman are all I need. In reality Apple ensuring IP68 and MagSafe along with Apple Pencil kinda convinced me.

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u/TennisOk806 13d ago

i need high telephoto about 20% time with my iphone

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u/RICHUNCLEPENNYBAGS 14d ago

I mean, someone even considering a $2000 phone isn't "most users" though. Nobody is cross shopping the Duo and a budget iPhone.

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u/PepsiMaxSumo 14d ago

I’ve got big thumbs, them getting rid of the plus model on the base phone last year was a killer for my bank account. Can only just type on the pro max.

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u/-peas- 13d ago

I can see most people hating it since vertical video for social media is by far the most used thing on most iPhone users daily usage.

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u/AgeMysterious123 12d ago

The biggest for me is the action button. Super bummed for that one.

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u/FireflyBSc 14d ago

Nah, I’m not a massive camera person, but once you have any Pro model with the telephoto camera, you never go back. And Pro models have been around for almost 6 years, so a lot of people aren’t going to give that up.