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| The first iPhone to be modified with a USB-C port |
Despite years of rumors that Apple didn't make an iPhone with a USB-C port, that didn't stop a robotics student from building an iPhone.
Apple is slowly transitioning its products to the USB-C port, and the iPad mini is the latest device to make that transition.
Ken Bellonell put a free USB-C port in the iPhone X so that the phone could charge and transfer data via the USB-C port instead of the Lightning port.
The main idea behind this project is to use a USB-C to Lightning cable, convert the male end of the cable into a jack, and then customize everything to fit the iPhone.
Billonel spent several months on this project in his spare time, using a large number of USB-C and Lightning cables to achieve his ultimate goal of using an iPhone with a USB-C port.
In May, Billonil first created a simple prototype that could charge his cell phone's battery via a USB-C port. The proof of concept is large enough and not suitable for equipment. So the next step is to remove all the wires and put them in.
This robotics student has reverse engineered Apple's custom C94 connector to create a flexible circuit board design that fits his device.
Billonel introduced the flex cable in a teaser video this week. Explain how to charge and transfer data on iPhone X using the USB-C port.
He is currently making a full video describing how to reverse engineer the C94 connector. It also shows how to add a custom printed circuit board to the phone.
The world's first iPhone with a USB Type-C connector
This USB-C port-equipped phone was launched just weeks after the European Commission announced that it would force manufacturers of smartphones and other electronic devices to install universal USB-C charging ports on their devices.
In the next few years, Apple may have to develop a mobile phone with a USB-C port. Or start a device that does not support the wireless charging port.
Subject to Apple's Terms of Repair. Any unauthorized modification of the device that requires an out-of-warranty repair may be considered.
It is not known if Billonil plans to release details of the custom flex circuit board to others to try to change. The student is currently completing a master's degree in robotics from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL).
Previously, he used his talents to modify the Samsung Galaxy Fold car mount and released a 3D-printed model so that the Xiaomi wireless car charger could be used with the Galaxy Fold.