When Apple introduced the iPhone in 2007, a reporter from the local CBS affiliate asked me what I took away from Steve Jobs’ unveiling of what had been dubbed the “Jesus phone” - (for the near religious fervor surrounding the anticipated device).

(Disclosure: Apple, Google and Samsung are among the many global technology companies that subscribe to research from Creative Strategies, the firm I founded.)

I told him that I saw the iPhone as a “new platform for innovation,” not just a new smartphone.

The iPhone indeed introduced innovations in communications and e-commerce, helped fuel the growth of social media, and became a powerful force in mobile media distribution.

Now, 19 years later, Apple has introduced its first foldable iPhone, the Duo. I believe this new form factor will also inspire innovative apps.

Throughout my long career in tech media, I’ve seen one thing repeatedly: a new design or platform gives birth to innovations its original creators didn’t anticipate. Hardware paves the way, and software brings those possibilities to life.

That is why I find what developers are already doing with Apple’s iPhone Duo particularly intriguing. The phone hasn’t even reached customers’ hands yet.

Why Apple’s Foldable iPhone Needs Distinctive Apps

Apple’s first foldable phone starts at $1,999, with availability on October 23, 2026. To sell it to fans willing to spend that much, the company will need innovative software and distinctive applications that take advantage of its folding design.

The original iPhone, with its large touchscreen and motion sensors, inspired virtual versions of everyday objects, including lighters whose flames could flicker and sway as you moved the device. They were gimmicks, but they showed the platform’s possibilities and helped create buzz around iPhone apps.

Developers Are Already Experimenting With The iPhone Duo

A recent San Francisco hackathon produced 73 Duo projects, many of which incorporated the phone’s folding motion.

One of the most fascinating apps created so far is Duo-Man , a music player by independent developer Vidit Bhargava. It turns the Duo into a virtual cassette player inspired by the Sony Walkman.

You open the phone to choose an album, “insert” the cassette, and close the phone to start playing the music, complete with the clicks and noises of a real Walkman. Bhargava came up with the app during a four-hour hackathon after noticing that a Walkman’s door opened much like the foldable phone.

Duo-Man won second prize in the hackathon, but what interests me most is how it uses the new design to re-create a familiar experience.

Duo-Man was far from the only example of developers putting the folding design to work. Accorduon turns the hinge into the bellows of a virtual accordion, with the volume increasing as you open the phone.

First prize went to Crate , which turns the Duo into a make-your-own music/beat machine. Folding the phone controls effects, and snapping it open triggers a musical drop.

Foldtales uses the hinge to create a virtual pop-up book, with castles and trees appearing as you open the phone. Twofold lets players hide their game pieces by folding the screen. Half-folded, the raised screen covers your board like the lid of a game box.

Can Apple Turn App Experiments Into A Lasting Market?

Apple is several years behind Samsung and Google in bringing a foldable phone to market. However, Apple has one trump card: a huge developer community whose creativity could help the company catch up.

And Apple is fortunate that AI coding tools can make it easier for developers to bring their unusual ideas to life quickly.

The real question is whether this wave of innovation will lead to something lasting—and whether Apple will sell enough Duos to encourage developers to keep creating apps for them.

A hackathon demo is not necessarily a business model. But if the current signs are anything to go by, Apple’s iPhone Duo has already done what every good platform should do: get developers interested in experimenting.