World’s first USB-C iPhone port created by a student; check out the iPhone X

The European Commission is forcing tech companies like Apple to introduce a common USB Type-C charger in all their devices. While Apple is slowly bringing this change in its device portfolio slowly, it has so far restricted itself to iPads, leaving one of the most important devices in its portfolio, that is, the iPhone out completely. But now, a robotics student has created an iPhone -- first of its kind in the world -- that comes with a USB Type C port.

In a video titled ‘World’s First USB-C iPhone’ on YouTube, robotics student Ken Pillonel claims to have installed the component, that is, the USB Type-C port, into an Apple iPhone X. In the report, Pillonel replaces the Lightning port in the iPhone X with a new USB Type-C port. The same video also shows the iPhone X being able to handle data transfers over the installed USB-C cable with ease.

“The first part was about getting the electronics to work. Then the next step was to reverse-engineer the Apple C94 connector and make my own PCB with a female USB C port. Then the schematics for the project were set and tested and the final was to make it fit inside the iPhone,” Pillonel wrote in the description of the video on YouTube.

Notably, replacing the Lightning port in the iPhone X with a USB Type-C port was no easy feat. It took Pillonel, who has a background in electronics and has studied for a Master's degree in robotics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, months to achieve this feat.

He started this project in May when he documented a brief plan of action in a blog post. “The main idea behind the project is to use a USB-C to Lightning, convert the Type C male end of the cable to a female port and then make the whole thing fit inside the iPhone,” he wrote in his post at the time.

Then in September this year, he shared an update via YouTube video. “Now the schematics for the project are set and tested and the final part will be to make it fit inside the iPhone,” he wrote in the post. Now, less than a month later, he has successfully completed the project.

It is worth noting that as per Apple's Repair Terms and Conditions, unauthorized modifications will put the iPhone in question "Out-of-Warranty". So, you are advised not to follow Pillonel’s footsteps and try replacing the Lightning port in your own smartphone with a USB Type-C port or, for that matter, carry out any repairs yourself.