#reviews

Touch ID is the iPhone Duo's most divisive feature. Reviews published ahead of Friday's launch return again and again to what several reviewers describe as a step back from Face ID.

According to MacRumors, which rounded up the verdicts, Marques Brownlee said Apple adds a deliberate pause to every Touch ID unlock. He could not find a setting to remove it and expects Face ID to be the feature people miss most. Engadget also found unlocking slower than expected. Apple told the outlet the pause makes the experience consistent across devices and leaves time for notifications to appear.

Early iPhone Duo reviews disagree on how hot Apple's first foldable gets, with some reviewers calling it merely warm and others saying it struggled under sustained load, according to a MacRumors roundup of the coverage published ahead of Friday's launch.

Warm in some hands, a problem in others

Joanna Stern said the back of her review unit grew warm during FaceTime calls and photography, and that she had to end one call because the phone got too hot. She said Apple told her the warmth reflects a thermal design that moves heat away from the chip to preserve performance. The Verge reported the phone heated up during long camera sessions, particularly with both displays active, and that noticeable lag followed.