Oh, we know a thing or two about the iPhone Duo now. You've read our review, you've seen the lines at Apple Stores and you've probably wondered what you'd actually do with a $2,000 phone that folds. The answer, according to developers, is more fun than you'd expect.
The iPhone Duo hit shelves on October 23, and within days both TechCrunch and Wired had published roundups of apps built specifically for it. TechCrunch's Sarah Perez says her interest grew only once she saw developers embracing the new design, while Wired's Julian Chokkattu notes that after seven years of Android foldables, his inbox has never seen this many indie pitches. Some apps only look right on the Duo; others use the hinge itself as a control.
The iPhone Duo apps everyone is talking about
The standout for both outlets is Deck-Man, formerly Duo-Man, an indie music player from developer Vidit Bhargava that was born at a hackathon. It turns the Duo into a virtual cassette player: browse albums as cassettes, load one in, then use play, pause, fast-forward and rewind controls with clicks and tape sounds recorded from a real portable cassette player. Open the phone and the cassette plays on one side, album art on the other; close it and the interface looks like the front of a Walkman.
Wired's list leans into the same playful spirit. Battlefleet Duo is a tabletop naval game where your ships sit on the bottom screen and the enemy fleet above, with local multiplayer if a friend also has a Duo. Toastie, a $3 app, asks you to build a sandwich on the inner screen and then close the phone for a few seconds to grill it. Flipcorder turns the Duo into a retro camcorder with VHS and MiniDV filters, and while you record, the person in front of you sees a live preview on the outer display.
- Deck-Man: retro cassette music player that only makes sense on a hinge
- Battlefleet Duo: two free battles daily, $5 one-time unlock for unlimited play
