Is there a way to programmatically set the iPad to run the iPhone app at 2x as it is launched (yet keep the iPhone app native). I understand I can create NIB files for each
No. The pixel-doubling malarkey is not under your app's control, and is pretty much a crutch for apps that weren't designed for the iPad. If you didn't go nuts with specific pixel measurements in the original code, it shouldn't be difficult to move to the larger screen.