iPhone 7 Modded to Include Fully Functional 3.5mm Headphone Jack

[MacRumors]

Former software engineer Scotty Allen has posted his second video to YouTube this week, in which he decides to modify an iPhone 7 in order to add a functional 3.5mm headphone jack into the smartphone. On the Strange Parts website, Allen explained that he spent four months on the project, working in Shenzhen, China assembling the tools, going through 7 custom circuit boards designs, and 3 disassembled iPhones to finally arrive with a working unit.

Allen said that the hardest part of creating an iPhone 7 with a headphone jack centered on the electrical design and fitting the new parts inside of the smartphone. Upon the release of the iPhone 7, Apple said that the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack was needed to make room for the internals of the new camera system -- as well as increasing water resistance -- but Allen found that "there was inexplicably a lot of extra room" near the lower left hand corner of the iPhone 7, where he added the component.

The modded iPhone 7 (above) compared to an iPhone 6s (below)​

While Allen's feat is notable due to many iPhone users' ongoing complaints about losing the headphone jack on the newer iPhones, it isn't a practical solution for everyday users. Allen pointed out that he went through designing numerous circuit boards that were "more complex" than anything he's ever done, as well as spending money on "lots, and lots, and lots" of spare parts and advanced disassembly tools.

I'm pretty proud of the final implementation. I took apart an Apple lightning to headphone adapter, put that inside the phone, and hooked it up by man in the middling the lightning jack with a flexible PCB. The PCB has a switching chip that switches between connecting the headphone adapter to the phone by default, and then disconnecting it and connecting the lightning jack when something is plugged into it. I have a couple other timer chips that briefly disconnect everything from the phone when something is connected/disconnected to improve the reliability of the phone detecting when something is plugged/unplugged (otherwise it sometimes gets confused).

The full 30-minute video goes into detail of Allen's project, and he reveals the successful final product at the 30:00 minute mark. One downside is that the modded iPhone 7 can't listen to music and charge simultaneously, which Allen admitted would require a "pretty serious engineering effort."

Earlier in April, Allen built his own functional iPhone 6s entirely by finding spare parts in Huaqiangbei, China. His final homemade iPhone 6s was a like-new 16GB device with full functionality, including a working Touch ID Home button.

Allen ended his new video telling Apple that he "really wants to buy an iPhone with a headphone jack from you," hoping that Apple will return the 3.5mm headphone jack into an upcoming iPhone model sometime in the future. Apple is holding an iPhone reveal event in Cupertino next week on September 12, and all three new smartphones -- the iPhone 8, iPhone 7s, and iPhone 7s Plus -- are not expected to have a headphone jack, although Apple might continue to include a Lightning to headphone jack adapter in the box.

For more information about Allen's project, check out the Strange Parts website here.

Article Link: iPhone 7 Modded to Include Fully Functional 3.5mm Headphone Jack

 

[cmChimera]

In b4 "apple should have done this"

 

[Hustler1337]

Great, next project: add a few ports to the MacBook Pro

 

[LiE_]

I think it's worth noting he did remove the "barometric vent".

So if you remove that then it seems feasible to put in a headphone jack.

https://www.theverge.com/2016/9/16/...lastic-behind-where-headphone-jack-used-to-be

 

[GaryMumford]

Nice one Scotty... Next week you can start all over again on the 7s and 8

 

[Sunny1990]

I hope he is going to make more videos like this because it's pretty Brilliant! it will be awesome he try to convert normal EarPods to AirPods or could build a MacBook pro with more ports

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

I'm watching this now and loving it.

 

[sracer]

That video clearly lacks courage.

 

[Xavier]

Cool DIY effort. Personally, I would just get bluetooth headphones, but some people like to get their hands dirty in projects.

 

[alFR]

Allen ended his new video telling Apple that he "really wants to buy an iPhone with a headphone jack from you," hoping that Apple will return the 3.5mm headphone jack into an upcoming iPhone model sometime in the future.

Good luck with that.

 

[Jimmy James]

"there was inexplicably a lot of extra room"

 

[nvmls]

$200 for 3 adapters LOL, apple consumer at best.

 

[thisisnotmyname]

I hope he is going to make more videos like this because it's pretty Brilliant! it will be awesome he try to convert normal EarPods to AirPods or could build a MacBook pro with more ports

View attachment 716216

To be consistent he should start a project to add wires to AirPods.

 

[dannys1]

Great, next project: add a few ports to the MacBook Pro

Not this nonsense still

 

[obiwan]

I'd buy it. I use the headphone jack every day on my iPhone 6 and won't upgrade it until it eventually dies a death and I'm forced to replace it with something else.

 

[GadgetBen]

What a pointless waste of time.

 

[Centris 650]

That's like me modding my 2017 MacBook with a CD drive.

 

[vvs14]

Not this nonsense still

Not nonsense at all. I think removing all the ports that all the people use is nonsense.

 

[jmgregory1]

Here is a guy who wants another opening in their iPhone, where I'm hoping Apple can get to the point of removing even the Lightning port. If Apple does indeed include inductive charging on the 8, I'll be making a plug to insert into the Lightning jack so it doesn't fill with lint like every other iPhone I've had.

 

[Sirious]

"We don't want to ship air.... So what do we do with the extra space? We fill it with batteries"
- Phil Schiller, 2015, 12-inch Macbook

Clearly the not the case here. Removed the jack and left the space.

 

[Skika]

Here is a guy who wants another opening in their iPhone, where I'm hoping Apple can get to the point of removing even the Lightning port. If Apple does indeed include inductive charging on the 8, I'll be making a plug to insert into the Lightning jack so it doesn't fill with lint like every other iPhone I've had.

He just did it for fun. And views.

 

[simonmet]

Great, next project: add a few ports to the MacBook Pro

This makes me think bringing back the combined optical digital and headphone jack on the latest MacBooks would be relatively easy.

I’m not actually that bothered using the little lightning to headphone adapter, but I would prefer a black version to blend in better with my headphones and phone.

Anyway this guy just seems so happy and positive. It’s really cute to see. No way Apple will bring it back though.

Was also cool to see China. Surprised so many could speak English. But then Schenzem is a very international city.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

That video clearly lacks courage.

It saw thousands of views from Reddit yesterday, one of the 10 most visited sites in the world, and made the front page there, racking up more than 669,000 views. Yes, it clearly lacks coverage.

 

[tom.humphrey]

If you watch the video he hasn't really 'added a headphone jack' to the iPhone. All he's really done is managed to put the lightning to aux adapter inside the iPhone by removing some other bits and in the process spent more money then it would've cost to get a very very nice pair of Bluetooth headphones. He still can't charge and listen to music at the same time. None the less, it was an interesting watch

 

[jacobh101]

I thought it would make more sense to just swap out the new camera and processor from the 7 and put it in the shell of a 6s?