The iPhone Duo's inner display hides Apple's first under-display camera on an iPhone, and early reviews suggest it is better at video than at photos, MacRumors reports.
According to MacRumors, Apple advertises 1080p video recording for the camera but has not said much about still-photo quality. Gizmodo reported that the sensor is 4 megapixels, and described its photos as low-resolution, washed out and soft. The outlet also said video calls look muddy.
Marques Brownlee called the camera "very first gen" and rated its photo quality poorly, noting that Samsung used under-display cameras on its own foldables before moving away from them over image quality. He wondered whether Apple might eventually make the same choice. Reviewers more broadly found the camera works better for video, and counted it as a plus that it blends into the screen while the phone is in use.
Apple's design choice means the camera is not meant to be the main way to take selfies. The outer display has a 12-megapixel front camera, which MacRumors says is much better for the job. Apple's launch material for the iPhone Duo highlights that Center Stage front camera with a group-selfie example.
There is another route as well. PetaPixel described unfolding the Duo, pointing the rear cameras at yourself and moving the camera controls to the outer screen, which then acts as a viewfinder. That gives selfies the quality of the rear camera system.
For buyers, the practical takeaway from these reviews is simple: use the inner camera for video calls where its blending into the display is an advantage, and switch to the outer camera or the rear cameras when photo quality matters. The iPhone Duo goes on sale Friday, October 23, so owners will soon be able to judge the camera for themselves.
Apple has not publicly responded to the reviewers' comments about the camera, according to the reports.
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