📱 2022-04-01 08:02:50 – Paris/France.
In 2021, engineer Ken Pillonel did what Apple refuses to do when he created the world's first iPhone with a working USB-C port. Now Pillonel has flipped the script with its latest project: the first Android phone with a Lightning connector.
Granted, an Android phone with a Lightning port doesn't have nearly the same kind of crossover appeal as a USB-C iPhone, but that's okay. In his initial video, Pillonel says the device was meant to be more of a fun project created to "balance the chaos" unleashed by his previous device, with the release deliberately timed for April Fool's Day.
However, putting this thing together was no joke, because while the concept might be silly, the Android phone's Lightning port (in this case, a Samsung Galaxy A51) is fully functional for charging and data transfer. “[This] was a complex edit that required original thinking,” Pillonel said. And when I got the chance to ask about the project's biggest challenges, Pillonel told Engadget that the hardest part was figuring out how to make it all really work together.
"Lightning cables sold by Apple aren't 'dumb,'" he said. “They will only charge Apple devices. So I had to find a way to trick the cable into thinking it was plugged into an Apple device. And the whole thing has to fit inside the phone, which is another challenge in itself.
Fortunately, Pillonel learned a thing or two from his previous project, which helped lay the groundwork for his latest device. “I would say it was easier to do than the first USB-C iPhone for two reasons,” he said. “The first is that I'm getting better because I'm learning new things every day, so hopefully I can finish these mods faster and faster. The second reason is that the quality of the finished product is far from what it was for the iPhone.
And while I'd say an Android phone with a Lightning port is a definite downgrade in usability over a standard USB-C port, Pillonel doesn't seem to mind. "I don't expect anyone in their right mind to want to do this on their device," he said. “It was for fun, I just wanted to see if I could do it. »
So what's next for this unique gadget? For those looking for more details on what happened in the project, Pillonel says he is working on a full explainer video which will be available soon on his YouTube channel. As for the phone itself, Pillonel says he'll likely keep it after running into issues when he put the original USB-C iPhone up for auction on eBay, which ended up garnering bogus bids for more. of $100.
"I didn't want to force myself to try to sell it because it's not really who I am. I want to focus on my engineering and science projects,” Pillonel said. And while these custom mods might not be everyone's dream device, they're a great example of what can be done even without help from the companies that originally made them.
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SOURCE: Reviews News
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