Ken Pillonel, a robotics engineering student has worked over the past few months to make his dreams and that of many others come true by creating some no one has. Apple has been the proprietary Lighting port on iPhones ever since 2012 when it was first introduced.
There have been some rumors in the past suggesting that Apple will create a USB-C iPhone but all that never came to pass as Apple never created one. However, this robotics engineering student didn’t stop until he was able to do so. Ken Pillonel was able to fit a fully working USB-C port into an iPhone X. The iPhone X was able to charge and transfer data over USB-C port instead of the proprietary Lighting port.
Ken, the robotics engineering student has been working on this for some months as he posted the progress on his YouTube channel, Kenny Pi. At first, Ken Pillonel created a prototype that made an iPhone’s battery to be charged over a USB-C port. He opened quite some USB-C ports & cables and Lighting ports & cables to finally arrive at a USB-C iPhone that is working fully.
Later on, the concept was rather big and did not fit inside the iPhone X, so he had to work on how to remove all the wires and fit it inside the phone finally. Ken reverse-engineered Apple’s custom C94 connector, thereby allowing him to create his own flexible PCB design that fits inside the iPhone. He showed the flexible cable in a teaser video this week, demonstrating how the iPhone X with the USB-C port was able to charge and transfer data.
According to Ken, a video is currently in the works, which will explain in detail exactly how he managed to reverse-engineer the C94 connector and fit his custom PCB inside the iPhone X.
Will Apple Release a USB-C iPhone?
Some weeks back, the European Commission let everyone know of plans to force smartphones, gadgets and other electronics maker to fit a common USB-C port on their devices. This will help to reduce electronic waste in the world as everyone now has one common port, so less cables will be needed. Apple could be forced to make an iPhone with USB-C in some years, or launch a portless iPhone that relies on wireless charging as there are news on this following MagSafe return.
