The iPhone Duo goes on sale Friday, October 23, and several of its hidden features never made it into Apple’s launch announcement. Some are on Apple’s own tech specs page, some have been found in iOS code, and one is already working in a software build that has not shipped yet.
Apple’s Tech Specs Page Lists Edge Light and Four Ambient Light Sensors
The under-display FaceTime camera on the inner screen is listed with Edge Light for video calls, which uses the edges of the display as a ring light. Apple’s footnote marks it as coming later this year, the same label it gives Apple Pencil support. The press release never mentions it.
The sensor list also shows four ambient light sensors, and Apple does not say what each one does. The rest of the page fills in the camera, port and SIM details.
| Detail | What the specs say |
|---|---|
| Video out over USB-C | Up to 4K through native DisplayPort, with a footnote limiting it to standard dynamic range content |
| USB speed | USB 3 at up to 10Gb/s, which needs a 10Gb/s cable |
| Camera Control options | Exposure, Depth, Zoom, Cameras, Styles and Tone |
| Outer selfie camera | 12MP Center Stage camera at f/2.2 with Retina Flash |
| Inner camera | Under-display, f/1.8, with 1080p video at 30 or 60 fps |
| SIM | Two active eSIMs, with room for eight or more stored, and no physical SIM |
Photographers should read the format line before ordering. The iPhone Duo captures stills as HEIF and JPEG and records video as HEVC and H.264, so ProRAW and ProRes are not on the list.
Fast Charging Needs a 60-Watt Adapter That Is Not in the Box
Apple rates the iPhone Duo at 50 percent in around 20 minutes over a wire, but only with a 60W-capable adapter, which Apple sells separately, and a USB-C cable rated for 60W. The box holds the phone and a 1-meter USB-C charge cable. MagSafe reaches 50 percent in around 30 minutes with a 35W adapter or higher.
The footnotes add that Apple ran its fast-charge tests with drained iPhone Duo units unfolded, and that real charge times vary with the adapter, settings and usage.
Apple Pencil Support Is Already Working in the iOS 27.2 Release Candidate
Apple said the iPhone Duo will support Apple Pencil with USB-C later this year and did not name an update. Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach says it works in the iOS 27.2 release candidate that Apple seeded on Monday, so Apple Pencil support on the iPhone Duo may arrive sooner than the wording suggested.
The iPhone Duo ships with iOS 27.1, which means buyers will need to install iOS 27.2 before the stylus does anything. Apple says it works on either display.
Code in iOS 27.1 Points to Five More StandBy Faces and a Focus Button
Apple announced new Calendar and Weather StandBy faces for the iPhone Duo and an updated Photos face. Developer pdfu found references to five more in the iOS 27.1 simulator, and none is confirmed for launch. The code also points to a new face editor modeled on the one on Apple Watch.
- Home Camera shows a single camera view or a grid of up to nine camera feeds.
- Home Modular is a Home-focused version of the modular face.
- Flow is labeled “ResponsiveArt” in the code and may be an animated face.
- Fade has no details beyond its name.
- Snoopy brings the Apple Watch character face to the iPhone Duo.
pdfu also found a Lock Screen button that turns an active Focus off and back on, with the active Focus shown in the status bar above the clock.
On the iPhone Duo, Apple says StandBy runs on either the outer or inner display and works even when the phone is not charging.
