Bids for the 'world's first USB-C iPhone' eclipse $85,000 on eBay

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in General Discussion edited November 2021
An iPhone that has been modified with a USB-C port instead of a Lightning connection is up for auction, and the latest bids have driven the price over $85,000.

Credit: Kenny Pi
Credit: Kenny Pi


Ken Pillonel, a robotics engineer, showed off the USB-C device back in October. On Monday, Pillonel released a video detailing how he engineered the device and announced that it would be put up for auction.

As of Thursday morning, the eBay listing for the USB-C iPhone has now reached a bid of $85,550.

Pillonel says the device has been seen by "more than a million people," and describes it as a "true piece of collection for any Apple fanboy out there."

There are some stipulations in the auction, however. Pillonel requires bidders to agree that they will not restore, update, or erase the device, will not use it as their daily driver, and will not open up the device's case.

"I guarantee that the phone will work when you receive it but if you don't follow the aforementionned [sic] guidelines you are on your own," he wrote. "So basically you can do whatever you want with it but don't expect anything from me if you break something. It is just a prototype."

If $85,550 seems a bit pricy, Pillonel has released the project on GitHub. However, the process is in-depth and will void any warranty on a device.

Read on AppleInsider

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 20
    JapheyJaphey Posts: 1,767member
    Sometimes I forget how stupid humans can be. Stories like this quickly remind me. 
    rrabufotoformat80s_Apple_Guymike1MplsPstompytwokatmewwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 2 of 20
    HobeSoundDarrylHobeSoundDarryl Posts: 35member
    Will Apple finally be in$pired to move on from Lightning? If anything will do it, it's thi$. 

    "the new iPhone 15, now with the incredible, magical new USB-C jack... plus the same great battery life. Starting at $85,550... and orders start this Friday"
    darkvader
  • Reply 3 of 20
    rivertriprivertrip Posts: 143member
    I should have auctioned an iPhone with an attached USB-C to Lightning cable a couple of years ago. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 20
    Fred257Fred257 Posts: 237member
    Slow news day I see 🥱
    fotoformatwatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 20
    sbdudesbdude Posts: 259member
    For 85,000 bones, you think he could have cleaned the speaker grille covers. Also, good luck with those stipulations. What are you going to do, take it back?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 20
    darkvaderdarkvader Posts: 1,146member
    Hopefully this will help convince Apple to finally get rid of the proprietary, obsolete connector and replace it with the USB C that everybody wants.
    curiousrun8caladanian
  • Reply 7 of 20
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,054member
    The point is: no one buys it. You can create a fake account and bid the sht out a product but you don’t need to buy anything.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 20
    caddyman33caddyman33 Posts: 25member
    If you had 85k to blow why not invest it in an Apple I
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 20
    soundsinmotionsoundsinmotion Posts: 79member
    I’m sure these are fake bids to draw the price up for news
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 20
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,877member
    darkvader said:
    Hopefully this will help convince Apple to finally get rid of the proprietary, obsolete connector and replace it with the USB C that everybody wants.
    Lightning predates USBC and just fine for most people, who don’t want to buy new cables and would raise hell if Apple changed it, just like they did when this happened with the 30-pin. I imagine Apple will keep it as is, until it goes no-port. 

    Even as a power user I don’t care, and am not wanting USBC. While Apple was on the design committee for USBC, Lightning is smaller, the cable plug is a male design rather than female, and seems to attach better. 
    mike1baconstangauxiotwokatmewwatto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 20
    goofy1958goofy1958 Posts: 165member
    We're already at the point where we don't even need a port.  We are wireless for everything we need - charging, airpods, and syncing with our PC.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 20
    mike1mike1 Posts: 3,284member
    darkvader said:
    Hopefully this will help convince Apple to finally get rid of the proprietary, obsolete connector and replace it with the USB C that everybody wants.
    For most customers, most of the time, there is absolutely no benefit to a USB C connector on the phone. As others have said, it will likely be portless before it changes to a different connector.

  • Reply 13 of 20
    baconstangbaconstang Posts: 1,105member
    Why not put a USB C on that Apple 1 that's going up for auction?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 20
    suddenly newtonsuddenly newton Posts: 13,819member
    I thought there were rumors of a completely wireless (no ports) iPhone.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 20
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,213member
    fallenjt said:
    The point is: no one buys it. You can create a fake account and bid the sht out a product but you don’t need to buy anything.
    With over 144 bids it's sold. If the top bidder reneges it falls back to the second and so on.  Ebay will deal with the fake accounts and other IP-linked ones. 
    baconstang
  • Reply 16 of 20
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    darkvader said:
    Hopefully this will help convince Apple to finally get rid of the proprietary, obsolete connector and replace it with the USB C that everybody wants.
    Everybody wants USB-C? Not hardly. I’m betting you want Apple to drop proprietary Apple Silicon and go back to standard Intel which everybody wants and uses.
    watto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 17 of 20
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,925member
    darkvader said:
    Hopefully this will help convince Apple to finally get rid of the proprietary, obsolete connector and replace it with the USB C that everybody wants.
    How so? Your deduction in no way follows.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 20
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,925member
    goofy1958 said:
    We're already at the point where we don't even need a port.  We are wireless for everything we need - charging, airpods, and syncing with our PC.
    Except the wire is far superior for charging and necessary for carplay.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 19 of 20
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,925member
    StrangeDays said:
    darkvader said:
    Hopefully this will help convince Apple to finally get rid of the proprietary, obsolete connector and replace it with the USB C that everybody wants.
    Lightning predates USBC and just fine for most people, who don’t want to buy new cables and would raise hell if Apple changed it, just like they did when this happened with the 30-pin. I imagine Apple will keep it as is, until it goes no-port. 

    Even as a power user I don’t care, and am not wanting USBC. While Apple was on the design committee for USBC, Lightning is smaller, the cable plug is a male design rather than female, and seems to attach better. 
    Funny - you rejected this exact same argument in favor of eliminating USB A for USB C…
  • Reply 20 of 20
    kimberlykimberly Posts: 429member
    Stupid or otherwise, I wish I had soldered a USBC into an iPhone and sold it for 85 big ones.
    edited November 2021
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