Swiss Robotics and data science student Ken Pillonel modded an iPhone X to use a USB Type-C connector last year, replacing the usual Apple Lightning connector found on all modern iPhone models. It was an impressive technical achievement, but now Pillonel is attempting the reverse: adding a Lightning connector to an Android phone.
Ken Pillonel shared an early demonstration of the mod on their YouTube channel, Exploring the Simulation. The initial video is only 47 seconds long (embedded below), but Pillonel is promising a full breakdown of the process in a future video. The mod was accomplished on a Samsung Galaxy A51, which originally had a USB Type-C connector, and the replacement Lightning port seems to be working in the short video. The description also explicitly states it’s not an April Fools’ Day prank, despite its publishing date of April 1.
Pillonel said in the video’s description, “This is it. I’ve finally built the World’s First Android phone with an Apple Lightning port. It supports charging and data transfers. It is a Samsung Galaxy A51. After creating the first USB-C iPhone in the world, I decided I needed to balance the chaos I have created by making the exact opposite invention. It was a complex modification that required some out-of-the-box thinking. And sprinkle some DIY on top of that. The full length explanation video is coming soon. Super excited to show you how I did it.”
Ken previously published an extended video about the USB Type-C iPhone mod, then later attempted to sell the iPhone to raise funds for more engineering equipment. However, Pillonel wrote the initial eBay auction was “heavily targeted by bidding trolls,” and eBay later pulled the auction after telling Ken to “secure the transaction.” Pillonel hopes to sell the phone again using cryptocurrency — I’m not quite sure crypto is less susceptible to scams and bot accounts than eBay, but hey, it’s not my phone.
Via: PhoneArena
