After a series of enthusiasts successfully added a USB-C port to the iPhone, engineer Ken Pillonel explained how he added a fully functional Lightning port, including charging and data transfer support, to a Samsung Galaxy A51.
After posting a preview of the project earlier this month, Pillonel has now shown how he completed the conversion in detail. The complex process involved working around the device’s limited internal space, bypassing Apple’s proprietary software for the Lightning connector, micro-soldering, and 3D printing of a custom connector.
After sending a preview of the project, Pillonel told Engadget that it was “a complex modification that required something out of the box thinking.”
Lightning cables sold by Apple are not “stupid”. They only charge Apple devices. So I had to find a way to trick the cable into thinking it was connected to an Apple device. And it all has to fit inside the phone, which is another challenge in itself.
Pillonel admitted that “the quality of the finished product is nowhere near what it was for the iPhone”, but he does not expect “anyone with their right mind” will make this their device. “It was too fun, I just wanted to see if I could do it,” he explained, adding that such projects serve as a good example of what can be achieved with devices, even without the help of the companies that originally made them.
Pillonel was the first to achieve fame for changing an iPhone X to add a functional USB-C port, which went on to sell for over $ 86,000 at auction.
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