Question about North Face Base Camp Duffel

Correct, in the new versions (at least from 2017) the carrying straps are too short to use it as a duffle bag, it can only really be used as a backpack. You can of course also carry the "bag" around laboriously on the shoulder straps, but it's not very practical.

i have carried the xs duffel with me as a piece of hand luggage as well as a bag on city trips.
the harness is suitable for both normal carrying and backpacking.

So in the picture I see a shoulder strap and the handle type also says shoulder strap. Is this information incorrect?

When I looked at this model in a shop, the handles didn't seem too short.