Apple has brought Touch ID back to the iPhone with its newly announced iPhone Duo, the company’s first foldable iPhone. The Duo does not have Face ID like other iPhones; instead it uses a Touch ID sensor built into the side button, and the sensor can be used to authenticate the same way whether the device is open or closed.
This marks the first new iPhone with Touch ID since the third-generation iPhone SE arrived in March 2022, and the first iPhone to place the sensor somewhere other than a Home button. Apple has used a similar top-button arrangement on the iPad Air and iPad mini for years.
Touch ID in a new position
Some regular iPhone users are likely to be too used to Face ID for it ever to be replaced, but there is a significant cohort of users who prefer touch authentication. Is this a one-off for the foldable? Probably. If you’re put off by the Duo because of its reliance on Touch ID, bear in mind that you can also unlock it with an Apple Watch.
Pre-orders for the device open October 16, with availability beginning Friday, October 23.
