Engineer makes dual-port iPhone by adding USB-C

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPhone
In the presence of rumors that Apple could switch from Lightning to USB-C for a future iPhone release, an engineer has gone one further, and added a USB-C port to an iPhone 12 mini.

A dual-port iPhone mod [YouTube]
A dual-port iPhone mod [YouTube]


Apple has long been the subject of speculation about the future of Lightning, and whether it will make the switch to USB-C sooner rather than later. In a video published on Saturday, it seems someone wanted to see what it would be like before Apple released its own version.

The video, by a YouTube user with the id "Hyphaistos3672," depicts an iPhone 12 mini but with an extra connection in the base. To the side of the Lightning port, the person added their own USB-C port to the assembly, creating a "TwinPort" device.

To accomplish this feat, they disassembled the iPhone, placed a hole in the base where the new port would go, added a USB-C port, wired it up to connections attached to the existing hardware, and reassembled it all.

{"@context":"https://schema.org/","@type":"VideoObject","name":"[]- USB-C 2 / iphone usb-c","description":" 12 USB-C TwinPort iphone .","thumbnailUrl":"https://i.ytimg.com/vi/CQWa4LsQRZk/sddefault.jpg","uploadDate":"2023-02-11T06:12:14Z","duration":"PT5M37S","embedUrl":""}

In the end, they were able to connect the iPhone to iTunes using both the original and new ports.

The video surfaces after a similar release from YouTuber and engineer Ken Pillonel, who replaced Lightning with USB-C on an AirPods Pro charging case. He also previously performed his own USB-C iPhone modification in 2021.

The videos are published at a time when Apple is facing pressure to actually add USB-C to its hardware. Regulations by the European Union were finalized in October 2022 that will force the use of common charging connections, namely USB-C, with India also intending to follow suit.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 10
    9secondkox29secondkox2 Posts: 2,707member
    If it’s still only running at lightning speeds, who cares? 

    When someone adds USB C Thunderbolt and it actually works, then that’s something. 
    watto_cobrabaconstang
  • Reply 2 of 10
    9secondkox29secondkox2 Posts: 2,707member
    What’s hilarious is the perception that Apple is being painted as “forced” to add USB C to its hardware when they are the first to really push the standard. Too bad they only applied that push to laptops and did it halfway as that confused the market and led to a backtrack. Now we will finally see it iPhones and iPads. 

    Apple milked the royalties as much as they could, but even now, lightning is eclipsed by USB C and Apple is behind in that arena. I’m sure they’ll still find a way to get royalties, though it will be optional, likely with a consumer trust badge of some sort. 
    edited February 2023 Anilu_777darkvader
  • Reply 3 of 10
    baconstangbaconstang Posts: 1,105member
    That's nice...So? 

    I'd really like to see someone add a toaster to a Mac Studio!
    edited February 2023 watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 10
    uraharaurahara Posts: 733member
    9secondkox2 said:
    If it’s still only running at lightning speeds, who cares? 

    When someone adds USB C Thunderbolt and it actually works, then that’s something. 
    Do you mean like USB-C Thunderbolt on iPad Pro with only around 500 MB/s. And if you connect to MBP then it even drops to 130 MB/s.
    So you seem to sound like you care about speed, but actually don’t know how actually slow ‘those’ Thunderbolts on iPads are (and potentially on iPhons in the future will be).
  • Reply 5 of 10
    darkvaderdarkvader Posts: 1,146member
    I don't see the point.  If you're going to go to the trouble of adding USB-C, it would make more sense to rip out the worthless proprietary connector while you're at it.

    Even better, add a nice non-proprietary headphone jack.
    edited February 2023 baconstang
  • Reply 6 of 10
    rotateleftbyterotateleftbyte Posts: 1,630member
    darkvader said:
    I don't see the point.  If you're going to go to the trouble of adding USB-C, it would make more sense to rip out the worthless proprietary connector while you're at it.

    Even better, add a nice non-proprietary headphone jack.
    What about all those of us with accessories that use the current connector... ie not USB-C?
    Do you expect those to be candidates for Landfill?

    watto_cobrabaconstang
  • Reply 7 of 10
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    An ‘engineer’ did this or an ‘engineer’ did that as if Apple’s own engineers are incapable of doing anything. Of course Apple’s in house hardware team is capable of incredible magic and always has been. The question is what’s the point?

    Apple is going to do what it is going to do for its own reasons, not because some hobbyist added a port to their iPhone.
    edited February 2023 watto_cobrabaconstang
  • Reply 8 of 10
    michelb76michelb76 Posts: 618member
    9secondkox2 said:
    What’s hilarious is the perception that Apple is being painted as “forced” to add USB C to its hardware when they are the first to really push the standard. Too bad they only applied that push to laptops and did it halfway as that confused the market and led to a backtrack. Now we will finally see it iPhones and iPads. 

    Apple milked the royalties as much as they could, but even now, lightning is eclipsed by USB C and Apple is behind in that arena. I’m sure they’ll still find a way to get royalties, though it will be optional, likely with a consumer trust badge of some sort. 
    Not being able to sell in Europe sure helped the migration to USB-C.
  • Reply 9 of 10
    entropysentropys Posts: 4,166member
    I am interested in how the speakers were adjusted.  The dude actually did quite a good job.
  • Reply 10 of 10
    charlesncharlesn Posts: 834member
    I have to admit that I thought this was going to be some sort of Photoshop nonsense, so I was very impressed to see that this was real, and done on an iPhone Mini, no less. Really surprised to see so many "So what?" posts about this. Self-absorbed much? The engineer didn't do it for you--it challenged his/her own skill set to successfully complete a very complex task for the pleasure of seeing if they could do it. If you don't understand that, I feel sorry for you. 
    muthuk_vanalingambeowulfschmidtHallel
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