---
title: "iPhone Duo reviews criticise the deliberate Touch ID delay"
description: "Apple says the pause on the lock screen matches Macs and iPads, but several reviewers miss Face ID and found Apple Watch unlocking faster."
url: https://mactoreality.com/iphone-duo-reviews-criticise-the-deliberate-touch-id-delay
published: 2026-10-22T05:14:01Z
updated: 2026-10-22T05:14:01Z
author: "Mac to Reality Newsdesk"
category: Rumours
tags: ["iPhone"]
publisher: Mac to Reality
ai_assisted: true
apple_heat_impact: -1
---

# iPhone Duo reviews criticise the deliberate Touch ID delay

*Apple says the pause on the lock screen matches Macs and iPads, but several reviewers miss Face ID and found Apple Watch unlocking faster.*

**Key points**

- The iPhone Duo replaces Face ID with a Touch ID fingerprint sensor in the side button.
- Apple built an intentional delay into Touch ID unlocks; the phone proceeds only if the user keeps holding the sensor, to match Macs and iPads.
- Several reviewers miss Face ID and found unlocking the Duo with an Apple Watch faster.

The first reviews of Apple’s foldable iPhone Duo are out, and its new Touch ID system is the main point of criticism. The Duo replaces Face ID with a fingerprint sensor in the side button, and Apple added an intentional delay: the phone pauses on the lock screen and only proceeds if the user keeps holding the sensor.

In the first full review, published by [The Verge](https://www.theverge.com/tech/1015028/iphone-duo-review), the Duo is described as Apple’s first foldable and its first iPhone that is shorter and wider rather than taller, after years of 2:3, 16:9 and 19.5:9 proportions. It has a 5.4-inch glossy outer display and a 7.6-inch inner display with a nano-texture matte finish, both at a 1.4:1 aspect ratio. The matte coating hides the crease, which Apple calls “perceptually flat”, though the under-display camera can reflect light in bright conditions, a feature already criticised for poor photo quality in [our earlier coverage](https://mactoreality.com/iphone-duo-under-display-camera-criticised-for-poor-photo-quality).

According to [MacRumors](https://www.macrumors.com/2026/10/21/iphone-duo-touch-id-complaints/), Apple told Engadget the Touch ID delay creates a consistent experience with Macs and iPads and gives the phone time to wake and display notifications. Accidental presses on the button can produce a haptic error buzz, MacRumors reported, citing PetaPixel. Several reviewers said they miss Face ID; reviewer Joanna Stern wrote, “Face ID, I cannot tell you how deeply I miss you.”

The faster alternative, several reviewers found, is unlocking with an Apple Watch. “I’m going to tell you right now, you will want to wear an Apple Watch,” said Brian Tong.

The iPhone Duo launches on 23 October ([our launch coverage](https://mactoreality.com/iphone-duo-launches-october-23-developer-guidance-released)).

## Sources

- [The Verge: The Verge report](https://www.theverge.com/tech/1015028/iphone-duo-review)
- [MacRumors: iPhone Duo Reviewers Really Miss Face ID](https://www.macrumors.com/2026/10/21/iphone-duo-touch-id-complaints/)

*This report was written by the Mac to Reality newsdesk with AI assistance from the sources listed above, under the editorial policy at https://mactoreality.com/editorial-policy.*