iPhone Duo: Apple Watch Apparently Unlocks Through a Wall

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents iPhone Duo: Apple Watch Apparently Unlocks Through a Wall.

iPhone Duo: Apple Watch apparently unlocks it through a wall.

An Apple Watch that unlocks an iPhone through a wall initially sounds like an odd convenience and then like a genuine security problem. According to Frandroid, the report concerns the device known as the “iPhone Duo.” The news is relevant to you because Apple appears to be replacing Face ID on the device with a new form of identification.

The report describes the Apple Watch as a trade-off for this change. This puts the question of how far the alternative unlocking method reaches at the center of attention. Equally important remains the question of how the device works without Face ID.

And this is where it gets critical: The report also mentions unlocking at close range. The Apple Watch is said to be able to open the iPhone Duo even through a wall. Frandroid therefore describes the feature as one whose range is a little too large.

How the iPhone Duo Works Without Face ID

According to the report, the “iPhone Duo” gives up Face ID. Instead, the Touch ID reader is located in the side button. Identification therefore no longer takes place through the Face ID system that Apple has previously prominently marketed, but via a sensor that you operate on the side of the device.

Apple responds to this change with the Apple Watch. The report explicitly describes this as a trade-off for doing without Face ID. In this account, the Apple Watch is therefore not merely an additional device, but a component of the described unlocking concept.

This creates a clear divide when assessing the device: On the one hand, there is the Touch ID reader in the button; on the other, there is unlocking via Apple Watch. Both methods are apparently intended to ensure that the device remains neither impractical nor insecure despite doing without Face ID.

Distance Is the Real Catch

The most striking part of the report is not the Apple Watch itself, but its range. The Apple Watch is said to be able to open the iPhone Duo not only from the same half of the room, but also through a wall. What was a practical alternative therefore becomes a feature for which spatial control becomes immediately relevant.

On the one hand, this can be useful because the Apple Watch then does not have to be constantly within range. On the other hand, Frandroid describes the range as too large. For a security feature, this limit is decisive: If the range is too great, physical proximity can lose its significance as a prerequisite.

The key question therefore remains open: Up to what distance can the Apple Watch actually unlock the device? Frandroid gives no specific distance in the report and does not describe any technical limitation that would prevent misuse. At precisely this point, the information available to date is insufficient.

What the Report Clearly Shows – and Where Details Are Missing

The published report can be reduced to three solid key points:

• Authentication: The “iPhone Duo” does without Face ID and uses a Touch ID reader in the side button.
• Alternative: Apple provides for unlocking via Apple Watch as a trade-off.
• Problem: Unlocking via Apple Watch appears to reach too far and, according to the report, even works through a wall.

For context, it is important to note that this is a report about the feature. The key technical details come from Frandroid; the information provided contains no independent verification of the described range. It also remains unclear how Apple technically limits the feature and whether there are additional prerequisites for unlocking via Apple Watch.

What This Means for You

If you want to actually use the “iPhone Duo” later, the Apple Watch is not merely an optional accessory. In the described setup, it takes on the task of at least partially making up for the missing Face ID system. This means the range of unlocking via Apple Watch deserves particular attention.

The fair assessment is: Remote unlocking can make everyday life easier. By contrast, unlocking through a wall without clearly described limits is primarily a security risk. Frandroid points out precisely that the feature reaches a little too far.

For your decision, therefore, it not only matters whether the device is easy to use without Face ID. You should also pay attention to how Apple spatially restricts access via Apple Watch. The report already shows why this question is more than a minor usability detail: It determines how controlled access to the iPhone Duo remains.