iPhone Duo Gets a Virtual Walkman App Ahead of Launch
Indie developer Vidit Bhargava has created an app called Duo-Man that transforms the upcoming iPhone Duo into a virtual Walkman by utilizing the device's hinge mechanism. The application simulates the experience of inserting a cassette tape on the inner display and includes authentic audio effects recorded from a real Walkman. Duo-Man won second place at a recent Bitrig hackathon and is expected to support Apple Music and local files upon its official release.
- ▪The Duo-Man app uses the iPhone Duo's hinge to mimic the flip-open door of a classic cassette player.
- ▪Vidit Bhargava recorded button clicks and static noise from a real Walkman to enhance the app's authenticity.
- ▪The app won second place at the Bitrig hackathon in San Francisco and garnered over 2.1 million views on X.
- ▪The finished app will support Apple Music, local files, and an Apple Pencil feature for rolling the cassette loop.
- ▪Pre-orders for the iPhone Duo begin on October 16, with general availability starting on October 23.
3 outlets in our directory ran this story, first to last over 17 hours. All of the coverage we found sits in one bucket: centre. That one-sidedness is itself worth noticing.
- ▪ This iPhone Duo app simulates a classic Walkman — TechRadar
- ▪ The iPhone Duo may already have its first killer app: a virtual Walkman — TechCrunch
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iPhone Duo Gets a Virtual Walkman App Ahead of LaunchTuesday September 29, 2026 3:57 am PDT by Tim HardwickAn indie developer has built an app that turns Apple's upcoming iPhone Duo into a virtual Walkman by using the foldable's hinge to mimic the classic cassette player's flip-open door. Creator Vidit Bhargava is calling the app Duo-Man, which was designed in BitRig's new iPhone Duo development environment. Bhargava's app lets users open the device to pick their music and "insert" a cassette on the 7.6-inch inner display, then snap it shut to start playback. Bhargava told TechCrunch he wanted to make the experience feel authentic, so he went so far as to record button clicks and static from a real Walkman for use in the app.
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