iPhone Duo Gets a Virtual Walkman App Ahead of Launch

An indie developer has built an app that turns Apple's upcoming iPhone Duo into a virtual Sony 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, 80s-style. 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. Duo-Man won second place at the recent Bitrig hackathon in San Francisco, and his post about the app on X (Twitter) has gained more than 2.1 million views. Duo-Man offers the complete walkman experience on the iPhone Duo. Open the Duo to pick and 'insert' the cassette, Close the Duo to start listening. Yes, I actually recorded the button clicks and static noise from a real Walkman! It was fun making this at @bitrig hacks today. pic.twitter.com/juSrLhofrH — Vidit Bhargava (@viditb) September 27, 2026 The enthusiastic response has led Bhargava to turn the project into a proper release, and the finished app will support Apple Music and local files, as well as an Apple Pencil feature for "rolling" the cassette loop (a common battery-saving Walkman hack). Depending on its popularity, Spotify support may also be on the cards. No release date has been announced for the app, but we know when the iPhone Duo is coming: Pre-orders begin Friday, October 16, with availability starting October 23. Popular StoriesApple Announces Foldable 'iPhone Duo'Apple today announced the "iPhone Duo," a new kind of iPhone featuring two screens and a foldable inner display. The two halves of the iPhone Duo connect into a single continuous frame with the same aspect ratio across both displays, and Apple said the transition between open and closed is designed to feel fluid. When fully open, Apple says it is the thinnest iPhone ever made, with an...Apple Event Live Blog: iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, and MoreWednesday September 9, 2026 9:10 am PDT by Jordan GolsonApple's "Surprise and Shine" event kicks off today at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, where we're expecting to see the foldable iPhone Duo, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 models, new AirPods 5 earphones, and perhaps some other announcements. Apple is providing a live video stream on its website, on YouTube, and in the company's TV app across various platforms. We...iPhone 18 Pro Prices Estimated Ahead of September 9 Apple EventThursday September 3, 2026 3:41 am PDT by Tim HardwickLess than a week before Apple debuts new iPhone 18 Pro models, research firm TrendForce estimated the prices of the devices based on the latest hardware cost environment. TrendForce's price estimates compared to last year's models look like this: Model Starting Price Model Starting Price Change iPhone 17 Pro $1,099 iPhone 18 Pro $1,24...