Wednesday October 21, 2026 4:27 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Touch ID on the iPhone Duo might end up being frustrating for some users, based on media reviews that came out today. Multiple reviewers found Touch ID to be slow to unlock, which can be jarring coming from Face ID.
According to Marques Brownlee, Apple added an intentional delay to "every single" Touch ID unlock. After you touch a finger to the side button to unlock, it pauses on the Lock Screen. If you keep your finger there, it continues to the Home Screen.
It's technically smart. Like, it's giving people a chance to check to see their notifications real quick before it goes and unlocks it. And if they want to deliberately hold it longer, it'll unlock. But as someone who is used to the instant unlocks from Face ID, I was like, I need to find a way to turn this off. And I did not find that. Like it just makes the fingerprint reader feel slow when it's not slow [...]
I really think Face ID is going to be the number one thing people miss coming from other iPhones.
Brownlee says his workaround is to wake the iPhone Duo, swipe up, then touch the sensor for an instant unlock.
Engadget described Touch ID as taking "a bit longer to unlock than you might expect." Apple told the site that the Touch ID pause creates a more consistent experience when compared to other devices that use Touch ID, like Macs and iPads, and gives the phone time to wake up and display Lock Screen notifications.
In her review, Joanna Stern said she was fumbling unlocks even a week in, with five fingers registered. "Face ID, I cannot tell you how deeply I miss you," she said.
Mrwhosetheboss said the hold instead of the tap "feels like a tiny bit of extra friction 50 times a day." He found Touch ID could be problematic just after washing his hands or with slightly greasy fingers, plus he said it's really only comfortable to use in landscape orientation.
PetaPixel said Apple's choice to use Touch ID instead of Face ID "was a mistake," and found it to be slower than Face ID. Accidental presses when picking up or moving the iPhone also trigger a haptic error buzz. PetaPixel said it was buzzing constantly.
Apple allows the iPhone Duo to be unlocked with the Apple Watch as an alternative to Touch ID, and PetaPixel said this method of unlocking was faster than using Touch ID. Having a watch for unlocking "removed a lot of the friction" caused by Touch ID.
Brian Tong said Touch ID feels like a step back. "I'm going to tell you right now, you will want to wear an Apple Watch," he said.
Gizmodo's Raymond Wong said he missed Face ID every time he grabbed the iPhone Duo off a desk or out of a pocket and he remembered he had to put a registered finger on the button for unlocking. He said it was difficult to get used to not being able to look to authenticate a payment with Apple Pay. Wong also points out that as with old iPhones, winter gloves will need to come off for unlocking.
The Verge said "a week" was long enough to get used to Touch ID, and that it's "mostly painless once you remember you're supposed to be using it." 9to5Mac said the iPhone Duo's biggest tradeoff might be Touch ID, but also described it as working "quickly and reliably."
If you're getting an iPhone Duo, will you miss Face ID? Let us know in the comments below.
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