Apple has not disclosed the megapixel count of the under-display FaceTime camera hidden beneath the iPhone Duo’s 7.6-inch inner screen, a first for the company that it is describing with fewer technical details than the device’s other cameras.
The company’s published specs note the under-display FaceTime camera supports Center Stage, an f/1.8 aperture, tap to zoom and rotate, ultra‑stabilized video, Animoji and Memoji in FaceTime, wide color capture for photos and Live Photos, lens correction, auto image stabilization, QuickTake video at 1080p (30 or 60 fps), spatial audio and stereo recording, wind noise reduction and Audio Mix.
Apple lists the outer front camera as a 12-megapixel sensor and the two rear lenses as 48-megapixel units, but it does not list a megapixel figure for the under-display camera. Apple states the under-display camera can record video at up to 1080p at 60 fps, while the outer front camera can record 4K at up to 60 fps and the main rear camera can record 4K at up to 120 fps.
Under-display camera technical clues
The 1080p recording capability implies the under-display sensor is at least 2 megapixels, the minimum necessary for 1080p capture; its inability to record 4K may suggest it is under 8 megapixels, and the absence of an official figure has led to suggestions it may be closer to 2 megapixels. The listed f/1.8 aperture is faster than the outer front camera’s f/2.2, which would help compensate for light lost passing through the display, though Apple has not detailed how that trade-off affects final image quality.
A December 2023 report said LG Innotek was developing an under-display camera for Apple using a “freeform optic” lens array intended to reduce distortion and offset brightness loss. Apple has not confirmed whether that development is the component used in the iPhone Duo.
Visibility and practical notes
The display layer above the under-display camera appears to lack the anti-reflective nano-texture coating used on the rest of the screen, producing a glossy dot, and the panel likely uses a lower pixel density patch over the lens. Apple’s marketing materials include a subtle circular shadow at the camera position, and a video shared by Instant Digital on Weibo and highlighted by Tim Hardwick shows variable reflectivity that can make the camera area more noticeable depending on ambient light.
Other manufacturers have faced similar visibility issues: Samsung used under-display cameras in models such as the Galaxy Z Fold6 before switching to a conventional 10-megapixel punch-hole camera with the Galaxy Z Fold7. As Apple’s first under-display implementation, future iPhone Duo iterations may improve how discreetly the camera is hidden.
Apple says preorders for the iPhone Duo open at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Friday, October 16, with availability beginning Friday, October 23.
