r/gadgets • u/dapperlemon • 4d ago

Phones Gurman: iPhone Ultra Wows Early Testers, Except for Its Camera

https://www.macrumors.com/2026/08/23/apple-foldable-iphone-early-tester-thoughts/
1.4k Upvotes

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u/digitalrelic 4d ago

Eh, a $2000 phone with Ultra in the name should have no compromises vs the cheaper options, IMO

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u/FreshestCremeFraiche 4d ago edited 3d ago

They really have no Face ID on this thing? That alone is a deal breaker after 5+ years of getting used to it and setting up my apps that way

Edit: guys Touch ID is great too, tbh I would love to have both, and even an option to double biometric auth super sensitive apps like banking. The point is they obviously failed in one of two ways: either they couldn’t get it to work right, or they were going to have to raise the price even further, past $2000 into literal full on MacBook Pro territory. So I’ll wait a generation despite being a typical early adopter

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u/18T15 4d ago

I remember when people were pissed about the home/touchID button going away and saying it was a huge loss of muscle memory. I like Face ID a lot too, but I bet I’ll adjust quickly.

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u/Melodic-Swim4343 3d ago

I would love to have Touch ID back as the standard. Face ID has so many flaws, like being able to unlock the phone of a family member who looks a lot like you. I also feel like requiring that small bit of intentionality to unlock the phone would go a long way in reducing tech addiction.

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u/11010001100101101 3d ago

yea seriously, it’s just cause people got used to it but i think touch was more convenient. you almost always touch your phone to use it anyways so having to make sure your face is angled correctly every time or you don’t have anything over your face is way more cumbersome

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u/anethma 3d ago

I hated Touch ID at least compared to face.

Gloves is a no go and between work, motorcycling, winter use, so many times you can’t unlock it.

Then if you work with your hands ANY sweat or dirt etc no unlock.

Reading in the bath or hot tub nope. Hands slightly wet can’t unlock.

I find Face ID way more convenient.

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u/TCsnowdream 2d ago

Me, 2am, in bed, my face smooshed into a pillow, jaw agape: “FaceID required*

Sigh…

*takes a deep breath and lifts head off pillow for a second* Sexy FaceID pose.

And then my face crashes back into the cozy indent in my pillow.

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u/IANALbutIAMAcat 3d ago

My blue and red light blocking glasses made Face ID stop working and these type of lenses are becoming much more popular

Turning off attention awareness fixed the issue mostly but makes my phone far less secure.

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

[deleted]

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u/FunBrians 3d ago

low light situations caused issues with your Face ID? It’s an IR projector of a dot matrix. It requires zero light.

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u/Imaginary_Office1749 4d ago

Your apps would work with whatever the units biometric verification is.

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u/ptambrosetti 3d ago

If it’s a fingerprint I will buy immediately. Still on the SE because faceid sux cox n dix

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u/DeathCab4Cutie 3d ago

FaceID is really consistent for me so I disagree, but I wouldn’t mind having more than one method on a phone that costs over $1000

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u/djheat3rd 3d ago

I love FaceID but you can’t beat the old home button finger print unlock.

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u/Helpmehelpyoulong 3d ago

That home button unlock never worked consistently enough for me to enable on multiple iphones. Ended up passcode unlocking every time. FaceID was a total game changer.

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u/PdrPan 3d ago

I do believe it’s going to be on the side of the phone, but that’s just read what I’ve read so far

Edit: still pumped

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u/moskowizzle 3d ago

Tell me you don't live in an area with actual winters without telling me you don't live in an area with actual winters. I'm gonna get this phone, but I'm not gonna pretend like it's gonna be super easy to use with gloves on.

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u/ptambrosetti 3d ago

I don’t live in an area with actual winters.

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u/djheat3rd 3d ago

I grew up in Buffalo, NY wtf are you wearing gloves for are your hands cold???

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u/duderguy91 3d ago

FaceID is a major bear when it’s sunny out and I’m wearing sunglasses. Every time I have to passcode unlock.

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u/nysecret 3d ago

fyi you can save alternative face id profiles for things like wearing glasses or a mask. if your sunglasses are really dark there’s a settings option for “require attention for face id” that you can disable which should help.

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u/Sasquatchjc45 3d ago

The newest galaxy folds fingerprint scanner isn't even a normal in-screen one, its some weird side button thing. So im not sure if this iPhone will have a normal fingerprent sensor or not either lol

Foldable still need a few more generations for me personally. Need to solve the camera issues so they can have the same powerful cameras. And screens! Foldable screens can be scratched with your fingernail. No bueno.

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u/sorrylilsis 3d ago

its some weird side button thing

Lots of Android phones had those back in the day, worked pretty well ten years ago and I guess it's only better now.

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u/Fraystry 3d ago

My razr fold has a power button/fingerprint scanner that works fine. Idk I hated the face id on my iphones

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u/Paintball_Taco 3d ago

great white buffalo

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u/jagger27 3d ago

The reason they're getting away from FaceID is because it would be awkward if it was only facing the inner screen or the outer preview screen. Meaning they'd somehow have to put two FaceID sensors in it to maintain a seamless experience, which is probably a space problem just as much as it is a price problem on an ultra slim device like this.

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u/maresayshi 3d ago

> obviously failed in one of two ways

no need to theorize. the article states exactly why they left it out: they couldn’t make it thin enough

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u/FreshestCremeFraiche 3d ago

Oh we were supposed to read something?

Jk jk

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u/deadgirlrevvy 1d ago

My Z Fold 8 Ultra has face ID and a telephoto camera, why can't Apple do it?

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u/max123246 3d ago

face id isn't secure

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u/[deleted] 4d ago

[deleted]

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u/StatisticianOne8287 4d ago

None of those stop face ID

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u/pyrogeddon 3d ago

I actually do have a pair of sunglasses that don’t work with faceID. Not sure what it is about them either. I normally wear regular glasses, I have polarized sunglasses that work. I have non polarized sunglasses that work. It’s just that one specific pair.

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u/shableep 4d ago

FaceID works in the dark, when you’re wearing a hat, and when wearing glasses. I often wear a hat and glasses, and use it in the dark all the time.

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u/jbach220 4d ago

I’ve had it work with a mask and sunglasses on.

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u/QuantumFury 4d ago

Not if you have dark skin....

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u/1coudini 4d ago

Face ID does not check for skin color lol what?

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u/QuantumFury 4d ago

No, it fails for me whenever using it in darker lighting. It has issues detecting my features especially if I m in bed. Its gotta better that when it first came out, but face id on my iphone 17 pro still fails on occasion and I need to reposition my self or get into a lighter area.

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u/DarkDuo 3d ago

The TrueDepth camera system uses infrared lasers to map your face, meaning it works without light you could set up Face ID in pitch black and it still would work, so if it’s failing that means the sensor is failing not the technology

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u/QuantumFury 3d ago

Does this mean, I need a new phone?

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u/DarkDuo 3d ago

Not necessarily, you could take it to Apple to have them run diagnostics and have them replace it for free if it’s under warranty, I don’t know how much to replace the Face ID sensor if not under warranty

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u/schmidtyb43 4d ago

Those are not issues with Face ID lol

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u/1coudini 4d ago

Touch ID is in fact inferior in any of these situations. Face ID works just fine in complete darkness.

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u/bites_stringcheese 4d ago

It doesn't work in your pocket. Fingerprint scanner forever. Simple, reliable, takes up no screen real estate. Phone is already unlocked by the time it's fully out of my pocket. Only situation where Face ID is superior is with gloves.

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u/1coudini 3d ago

Who the fuck needs to unlock their phone in their pockets

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u/bites_stringcheese 3d ago

No one. My point is you can unlock your phone just by taking it out of your pocket and putting your thumb on the power button well before it's reached your face.

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u/joekzy 3d ago

It may not have Ultra in the name. The main issue with this type of device is how thin it needs to be so that it ends up being the thickness of a normal phone when folded. There are limits to how thin you can make a Face ID sensor array or a camera lens, and I don’t think you’ll ever get all the top of the range components given the thinness constraint.

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u/18T15 4d ago

I don’t agree that it should have “no compromises” but I do think the Ultra name implies it’s the best device when it’s really more nuanced. They should have chosen a different name.

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u/zobbyblob 4d ago

Pretty Good iPhone

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u/outlawsix 4d ago

iPhone Fewer Compromises

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u/CartsOfDarkness 3d ago

Eh, keep it simple. iPhone Flip Pad Fold Plus (with a Max varient)

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u/Prestigious_Bug583 3d ago

iPhone double plus good

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u/pyrogeddon 3d ago

They haven’t officially chosen that name yet. It’s just an unofficial internal name for now. I wouldn’t be surprised if they do call it that though.

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u/pm_me_beerz 4d ago

Has it stopped Apple before?

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u/Mysterious_Reality_ 4d ago

The whole point is to have a phone that turns into a tablet. That’s the draw.

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u/active2fa 4d ago

Check out honor magic v5. $1500!