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Indie Developer Creates Virtual Walkman App for iPhone Duo
Confirmed
In Short: Indie developer Vidit Bhargava has created an app called Duo-Man that turns Apple's upcoming iPhone Duo into a virtual Sony Walkman.
The app, designed in BitRig's new iPhone Duo development environment, replicates the experience of using a classic Walkman, complete with the ability to open the device to select music and 'insert' a cassette tape.
Bhargava told TechCrunch that he wanted to make the experience feel authentic, recording button clicks and static noise from a real Walkman for use in the app.
The app also plans to mimic the fast-forward and rewind functions of the original Walkman.
Pre-orders for the iPhone Duo begin on October 16, with availability starting October 23.
Bhargava, a long-time Walkman enthusiast, said he was inspired by the physical design of the Walkman, particularly its hinge mechanism.
What this adds
The app offers a nostalgic experience for those who remember the classic Walkman, bringing its functionality to the modern foldable phone.
What's confirmed
- Duo-Man offers the complete walkman experience on the iPhone Duo.
- Yes, I actually recorded the button clicks and static noise from a real Walkman!
What's still developing
- 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.
- 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.
- Preorders for the new iPhone Duo don’t start until later in October, but the device may already have its first killer app.
- Indie developer Vidit Bhargava has been showing off an app for the first Apple foldable that replicates the experience of using a classic Walkman.
- The app imitates how Walkmans used to function: You can open up the Duo to pick your music and “insert” your cassette tape, then close the device shut to start listening.
- “I have been a long-term Walkman enthusiast — still own and listen to it occasionally — and have repurposed them in the past,” the developer told TechCrunch.
- “So, when I was looking for ideas for the hackathon, I was looking for physical objects that have a hinge. I noticed how the Walkman’s door needed to be opened to insert a cassette, and I thought it would be cool to replicate on the Duo,” he said.