{
  "id": 10676330,
  "title": "iPhone Duo Gets a Virtual Walkman App Ahead of Launch",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/iphone-duo-gets-a-virtual-walkman-app-ahead-of-launch",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-29T10:57:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MacRumors",
    "slug": "macrumors",
    "url": "https://www.macrumors.com/2026/09/29/iphone-duo-virtual-walkman-app/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "An indie developer named Vidit Bhargava has created an app named Duo-Man that transforms Apple's upcoming iPhone Duo into a virtual Sony Walkman using the foldable device's hinge. The app, developed using BitRig's new iPhone Duo environment, allows users to simulate the classic cassette player by opening the iPhone Duo to select music and inserting a cassette on the 7.6-inch inner screen, then closing it to start playback, reminiscent of the 80s. To enhance authenticity, Bhargava recorded button clicks and static from an actual Walkman for the app. Duo-Man secured second place at the recent Bitrig hackathon in San Francisco, garnering over 2.1 million views on X (Twitter). The app offers a complete Walkman experience on iPhone Duo, with users opening the device to select and insert a cassette, and closing it to begin listening. Bhargava has expanded the project into a proper release, which will support Apple Music, local files, and an Apple Pencil feature for looping the cassette (a common battery-saving Walkman hack). There's also speculation about future Spotify support. The exact release date for the app hasn't been announced yet; pre-orders for the iPhone Duo start on October 16, with availability beginning October 23.",
  "summary": "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…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "9to5Mac",
        "title": "Duo-Man turns your 2026 iPhone Duo into a 1980s Sony Walkman",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/duo-man-turns-your-2026-iphone-duo-into-a-1980s-sony-walkman",
        "published": "2026-09-29T10:58:56.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}