An engineer has created an iPhone with USB-C, an unofficial project that may be the only way to get that connection on Apple’s mobile.
While most smartphone manufacturers have opted for USB-C as their single port for data and charging, Apple continues to rely only on its own solution, the Lightning port; At this point, it seems more a matter of stubbornness than anything else, an attempt to continue to stand out from the rest.
Actually, it would be very easy for Apple to install a USB-C port on the iPhone; We know this because it has already done so with other products such as the iPad Pro, the iPad Air and the new iPad Mini , which can already enjoy advantages such as directly connecting peripherals and external storage without the need for adapters, in addition to being able to use the same cable. charge than other devices.
It is not a technical question; The robotics student at the Swiss EPFL, Ken Pillonel, a robotics student at the Swiss EPFL, has demonstrated this with a personal project in which he has installed a USB-C connection on an iPhone X. No special knowledge about the hardware from Apple, he had to open the device and analyze how it works; It was not as easy as simply buying a part and installing it, since it had to take into account aspects such as voltages so that everything worked correctly.
The solution he reached was a custom connection that connects the external USB-C port with the guts of the iPhone, thanks to which he has achieved a prototype capable of charging and transferring data through the new port. At first glance, it is like any iPhone X.
Pillonel has not confirmed whether he will make his discovery public, sell it, or keep it secret; although it must be clarified that the installation of this cable would mean opening the device and, therefore, losing the warranty . Even so, many fans and advocates of the ‘right to repair’ would love to have an alternative that allows them to continue using their iPhone for years with the same chargers as the rest of their phones and tablets.
Despite having implemented USB-C in almost all of its devices, Apple may never put it on the iPhone. The European Commission has already announced that it will force the use of USB-C in all mobiles , but Apple will possibly avoid this by creating an iPhone without ports, which will charge only wirelessly.
