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GIVE YOUR OLD IPHONE A USB-C PORT

In 2021 Ken Pillonel swapped the Lightning port on his own iPhone X for a working USB-C port, years before Apple moved the iPhone 15 to USB-C. The one-off phone later sold on eBay for 86,001 dollars.

by Ken Pillonel

FULL CAD BOM FIRMWARE DOCS

Open-hardware

Built with3D printing

difficulty
●●●●●
time
multiple weekends
license
WTFPL
repo
repo ACTIVE1,058 stars

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Videos
1
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COMPAREE VERDICT

Ken Pillonel replaced the Lightning port of his own iPhone X with a working USB-C port. In his video the phone charges, and a Mac detects it and transfers data over the new port. How it works: the chips from a C94 Lightning connector board (the kind used in MFi Lightning-to-USB-C cables) go onto a thin custom flex PCB that sits upright in a small gap between the battery and the Taptic Engine. The hole in the bottom of the frame is enlarged on a CNC mill so the USB-C socket fits. The repo gives you the KiCad schematic, two 3D-printable holders for the CNC vise, a 3D-printed connector holder, a Fusion 360 file and a drawing for the hole position, and a sourcing hint. It does not give you a ready-to-order PCB: only the schematic was released. This is a very hard build. You need micro soldering, PCB layout, CNC milling and a lot of patience. It voids the warranty and one mistake can kill the phone. Do it only on your own old or second-hand iPhone X; the repo covers no other model. If you just want an iPhone with USB-C, the iPhone 15 and newer have it. If you want to understand how a phone port really works, Ken's full build video is one of the best walkthroughs out there.

GOOD TO KNOW

  • —Repo folder ip-x has the KiCad schematic and symbols for the custom flex PCB (f94_flex). Per the ip-x README, the PCB layout itself was not released.
  • —CNC-Hold-1.stl and CNC-Hold-2.stl hold the phone in a CNC vise; Connector_Holder.stl screws into the iPhone and supports the USB-C connector. Ken printed them in PETG on a Prusa MK3s.
  • —cnc.f3d (Fusion 360) and cncInstructions.png show where to centre the bigger hole; sourcing.png is a hint for where to find the chips.
  • —No phone software is changed; this is a hardware mod.
  • —Licence: WTFPL.
  • —The repo covers the iPhone X only.

Parts to buy

4 items

From our check of the build. Exact quantities and part numbers are in the creator’s BOM.

  • Second-hand iPhone XFind
  • C94 Lightning connector board to take the chips fromFind
  • USB-C socketFind
  • Custom flex PCB made from your own layoutfrom the repo files

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Can I build this?

PrintCNC-Hold-1.stl and CNC-Hold-2.stl (hold the phone in the CNC vise) and Connector_Holder.stl (supports the USB-C connector inside the phone).
BuyA second-hand iPhone X, a C94 Lightning connector board to take the chips from, a USB-C socket, and a custom flex PCB made from your own layout.
ToolsCNC mill, micro soldering setup (Ken lists a microscope, PCB holder, low-melt solder and fume extractor), multimeter, KiCad, Fusion 360, 3D printer.
SkillsVery advanced: micro soldering, PCB layout, CNC milling.
TimeMultiple weekends, likely more if you have to draw the PCB layout yourself.
Cost$$$. We could not confirm a total cost from the sources; the board, parts and CNC time depend on where you get them.
SafetyOnly on your own old or second-hand iPhone X. Voids the warranty and can destroy the phone. The lithium battery stays in the phone, so do not puncture or overheat it. Use the fume extractor when soldering.

Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.

Videos

How the World's First USB-C iPhone was born13:58

Ken Pillonel's full build video (13:58, published 1 Nov 2021). Chapters: 2:46 proof of concept, 4:38 C94 connector, 6:30 fake C94, 7:25 reverse-engineering, 10:05 making it fit, 11:31 bottom hole, 12:26 mechanical support.

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Start here

Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.

  1. 1.Watch Ken's full build video before buying anything. (The repo is a set of reference files, not a step-by-step guide. The video explains each step.)
  2. 2.Read ip-x/README.md in the repo and look at sourcing.png and cncInstructions.png. (They explain what each file is for, where the new hole goes, and give a hint for sourcing the chips.)
  3. 3.Open the KiCad schematic in ip-x/f94_flex and plan your own flex PCB layout.(Only the schematic and symbols are in the repo, so the board layout is up to you.)
  4. 4.Print the CNC holders and connector holder, then mill the hole using cnc.f3d.(Ken printed them in PETG; the holders keep the back glass out of the vise.)

Resources

Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.

KNOWN ISSUES

  • Expecting to order the board from the repo. Only the schematic and symbols were released; you have to draw the flex PCB layout yourself.
  • Starting without micro soldering experience. The C94 parts are tiny and the original boards are covered in underfill that makes the chips hard to remove safely.
  • Clamping the phone straight in a CNC vise. Ken notes the back glass would almost certainly shatter; that is why he designed the 3D-printed CNC holders.
  • Setting the CNC zero point wrong. The iPhone has rounded edges everywhere, so finding the origin for each axis is not trivial, and a bad cut in the frame cannot be undone.
  • Trying it on another iPhone model. The repo covers the iPhone X only.
  • Working near the battery carelessly. The phone's lithium battery stays inside during the mod, and damaging it is a fire risk.
  • Expecting full fast charging. Ken's simple fix limits charging speed in one plug orientation.

Does this work on newer iPhones?

The repo covers the iPhone X only. Ken invites people to port it to other models and send a pull request, but no other model is in the repo.

Where do the controller chips come from?

From a C94 Lightning connector board, the part used inside third-party (MFi) Lightning-to-USB-C cables. In the build video Ken used a clone C94 board bought on Taobao and moved its parts onto his own flex PCB. The repo's sourcing.png is only a hint where to find these boards; Ken chose not to post shop links.

Can I order the flex PCB straight from the repo?

Not as it is. The ip-x README says only the schematic and symbols were released, and the PCB layout file is not in the repo. You would have to draw the board layout yourself from the schematic.

Will this void my warranty?

Yes. You open the phone, mill the metal frame and replace internal parts. It can also destroy the phone. Only do it on your own old or second-hand iPhone X.

Do I need a CNC machine?

Ken enlarged the port hole on a CNC mill and shares the Fusion 360 file and a drawing with the exact hole position. The USB-C plug does not fit through the original Lightning hole, so the frame has to be cut precisely.

Does fast charging work?

Not fully. Ken used a simple resistor fix so the port works both ways round, which limits charging speed in one orientation. Adding proper CC switching for full fast charging is listed as a future improvement in the repo.

Community builds

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Discussion1

FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM

Ken built this on a used iPhone X he bought for the project, and the repo only covers that model. If you had an old iPhone X in a drawer and a CNC nearby, would you try it?

CompareeTEAM13h ago

Practical notes from our check of the repo and videos: the last code commit is from November 2021, so treat this as a finished one-off, not an ongoing project. The most important thing to know is that the repo has the schematic but not the PCB layout, so you cannot just send files to a board maker. Ken's own video says the controller parts came from a clone C94 board bought on Taobao, not from Apple's own cable (Apple's cable uses a different connector, the C91). The full build video is the real documentation. Only try this on an old iPhone X you are ready to lose.

Ken Pillonel

Ken Pillonel runs the YouTube channel Exploring the Simulation and the site kenp.io. In 2021, when Macworld described him as a robotics student, he built the first known iPhone with a USB-C port from a second-hand iPhone X he bought through classified ads. He auctioned the prototype on eBay, where it sold for $86,001 after 116 bids, and published the files on GitHub under the WTFPL licence.

GitHub Web

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