Apple Removes Eye Contact Setting From iPhone Duo
The device's under-display camera design creates a physical limitation that renders the eye-tracking feature unavailable.
Updated on Oct. 26, 2026 in Consumer Electronics
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Apple has omitted the Eye Contact setting from the new iPhone Duo, a shift from existing iPhone SE models. The device lacks the traditional TrueDepth camera and Face ID hardware found in previous handsets.
Why it matters
The removal suggests a technical trade-off necessitated by the iPhone Duo's unique hardware, specifically its under-display camera placement. This change impacts users who rely on software-based gaze correction features.
The iPhone Duo features an under-display camera positioned on the right-hand side of the screen, departing from the centered TrueDepth array. This camera placement limits eye-tracking functionality to states where the device is fully open.
The players
Apple
A designer and manufacturer of premium consumer electronics, operating the iOS ecosystem and proprietary hardware stack.
iPhone Duo
The latest hardware iteration from Apple, distinguished by an under-display camera design and foldable display architecture.
The details
The Eye Contact feature on older iPhones relies on the TrueDepth camera system, which projects and analyzes thousands of infrared dots to map a face. Because the iPhone Duo uses an under-display camera on the right side, the angle of the lens relative to the user's eyes changes as the device is folded. This spatial misalignment makes the standard eye-correction algorithm ineffective for this hardware architecture.
Timeline
October 26, 2026: Absence of the Eye Contact setting confirmed on iPhone Duo.
The Tech Race
This hardware change highlights the divergence between traditional notch-based sensor arrays and emerging under-display solutions. Apple is currently balancing legacy software feature parity with the physical constraints of its new folding-screen hardware design.
Users upgrading to the iPhone Duo will notice the loss of the Eye Contact feature, which previously corrected gaze direction in video calls. There is currently no word on whether Apple plans to introduce a software-based alternative for devices lacking centered TrueDepth sensors.
The takeaway
The iPhone Duo signals a transition in Apple's hardware design that prioritizes under-display optics over legacy software features. Users should monitor future iOS updates to see if alternative gaze-correction logic is implemented for off-center camera arrays.
Further reading
For more on the latest hardware shifts in the market, visit our Consumer Electronics section.
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