Because Europe is pushing to make the USB-C standard a standard for all mobile devices, and Apple the only manufacturer that does not use it for its smartphones, the humble USB-C port has been in news. Apple Insider reports that a student in robotics engineering has demonstrated that it is possible to replace the iPhone's Lightning connector with a USB C port.
Ken Pillonel, EFPL masters student, teased an iPhone X equipped with a USB C port. He promised a video on how it was done later. He explained in an earlier blog post how he reverse engineered the Lightning connector and then made a prototype PCB connector to demonstrate the concept.
Pillonel discovered that Apple sells Lightning connectors to partners who build USB-C and Lightning cables. Pillonel managed to pull one from a third-party cable. He then removed the metal part and exposed the PCB. After that, he took the male Lightning port from his iPhone and soldered the wires to the PCB using USB-C connectors. He said that he had his first working prototype. Lightning is gone, and USB-C is all that remains.
He said that the next step was to reverse engineer C94 boards so that everything can be reduced to fit in a phone. This part appears to be complete, as shown in the video. It will be explained in detail in a second video.
Many users dream of an iPhone with a USB C port. This would enable faster PD charging as well as the use standard, non-proprietary cable. Apple is also able to do it, as the iPad Pro features a USB-C connector. Europe proposed a rule that requires USB-C charging on all smartphones and electronic devices. This is in order to reduce e-waste as well as consumer inconvenience.
Although it is not known if this project has been attempted before, most people shouldn't attempt one like this at home. Pillonel is an electronics engineer and is currently pursuing a Masters in Robotics at Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL). It is important to mention that this would void the warranty on your iPhone.
Editor's Note: This article first appeared on Engadget.
