iPhone X Modded With USB-C Port Listed on eBay With Bids Topping $99,000

[PinkyMacGodess]

Yep! micro USB is and always was total garbage. And I still have a million little cheap devices laying around that still need it, so I think we're going to be stuck with it for a very long time. And truth be told, I prefer the physical plug of lightning better than usb-c.... obviously usb-c has technical advantages, but the plug itself is inferior to lightning, imo.

Except what bothers me about USB-C is that thin tongue, and the close spacing between it and the shell of the connector. I wonder how many people have had 'junk' end up in that small gap. In the early MagSafe days, I picked up a metal shaving that blocked the connector.

 

[performa_6400]

This blows my theory that Apple is keeping lightening in the iPhone because the components are smaller. Awesome work!

 

[sirdir]

You may be surprised, I wouldn't even pay that amount of money fo an iPhone 13 Pro Max with an USB-C port. I must be really cheap.

 

[Robert.Walter]

"The winning bidder will receive the iPhone X with 64GB of storage in its box, without any accessories included"

For 80 grand you would think he would throw in a pair of usbc modded 2$ ear buds. Haha.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

For 80 grand you would think he would throw in a pair of usbc modded 2$ ear buds. Haha.

Apple can cover that for free. Just call them and they will happily send you one for free, LOL!

 

[Robert.Walter]

Wonder why he is placing these exclusions. And even so how could he enforce them?

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

"The winning bidder will receive the iPhone X with 64GB of storage in its box, without any accessories included"

I just wonder if some chargers won't charge it because it doesn't 'speak USB-C' back to them. Isn't there some conversation between the device and the charger on some level? I would doubt that the modder would be able to fix that issue. Also charging levels. Is it possible to push too much current too quickly and possibly produce a thermal runaway int he batteries? Hmm... Is this 'proof of concept', or a small art project?

 

[Skewlovevism]

Again, why would Apple care. Illegal? How?

True, I am most likely wrong on this one.

 

[citysnaps]

It's a nice stunt.

I'm pleased Apple is sticking with Lightning for phones.

 

[HiVolt]

$85,000+ is just dumb. What does the buyer gain?

It's like that guy who added a headphone jack to the iPhone 7.

 

[xxray]

This is so stupid. ?‍♂️

 

[Konigi]

Imagine how much money Apple would make if they were making those now ?

But seriously. I'm really behind USB-C. It's much more universal and user-friendly than other ports. Apple has been pushing it through their MacBooks, but it's still not really dominating the market. And I think part of the reason is Apple itself. If they were using one standard (rather than proprietary) port on all of their devices, that would really further worldwide use of USB-C.

I hope it's coming in the next 2-3 years.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

It's a nice stunt.

I'm pleased Apple is sticking with Lightning for phones.

I'm not as in love of it. I've had so many cables with incinerated connections on the blade. I grew to hate to see that black streak, and often black chasm, of where the gold line should be. So many cables. Some lasted days...

My fear is that USB-C is just hiding the damage under that cover. To 'fix Lightning', Apple would need to change the length of the contacts on the blade. The reason for the scorching is everything is being connected at once, If they staged the connections, the scorching issue would be gone. That being said, the Lightning design is flawed. It needed to be designed better in the beginning. I'm not sad to see it go, I just wish there were small plugin adapters to allow Lightning devices to connect to USB-C, so I can ditch the damn cables already.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

This is so stupid. ?‍♂️

He sounds like someone that was bored...

 

[Wildkraut]

$85,000+ is just dumb. What does the buyer gain?

It's like that guy who added a headphone jack to the iPhone 7.

Peanuts, because he can?!

 

[MrJM]

Why on earth would anyone pay 85 grand for that? I’d hardly call it a piece of iPhone history.

 

[coachgq]

Oh Apple can do it but he definitely proved Apple wrong. Perhaps, Apple should hire him and have him work with the iPhone team. But he did something Apple has been scared of doing?

I was thinking the same. He proved apple wrong, there is a huge demand for iphone with usb c

 

[jayducharme]

Apple's failure to put USB C in the iPhone 5 years after they made it the only option in their portables is bizarre.

I prefer the lightning connector. It's a lot more stable. I have a lot of connection problems with USB-C; the connectors too easily slip out. But Lightning has those little clips on the sides that keep it secure. I wish the Lightning plug had been adopted as the standard for USB-C.

 

[Skewlovevism]

I think they did that because they know iPhone is a very popular product and the lightning cable is making Apple the real money. So, why eliminate that?

The lightning cable was much better than the previous standards, reversible, sturdier. It was also saving them money, by not needing to license a different connector. Then USB-C came.

Apple should already switch to usb-c on a ‭090 9380 4526‬, as their current offering with iPhone makes no sense, if you are already not an Mac or iPad owner.

 

[yabeweb]

To think that someone in this very forum said it was a waste of university resources ......

 

[mrat93]

I just wish there were small plugin adapters to allow Lightning devices to connect to USB-C, so I can ditch the damn cables already.

This is the icing on the sh*t cake for me. It’s 100% on Apple to make this possible. I’d never buy a Lightning cable again. It sucks having to get new cables every so often that only work with my phone, AirPods and goddamn Apple TV remote.

 

[citysnaps]

But he did something Apple has been scared of doing?

That's silly. Apple decided not to. I much prefer Lightning.

 

[axcess99]

I was thinking the same. He proved apple wrong, there is a huge demand for iphone with usb c

How does it prove them wrong? Does anyone seriously believe apple doesn't think they could change to a USB-c or haven't tried prototypes with such. It's obviously a decision mainly driven by the existing peripheral ecosystems. And the 80k bid (doubt it is legit) doesn't prove anything about the wider demand in the market. Either trolls or someone with less sense than money; the buyer isn't even "allowed" to use it, let alone obviously no store would ever service it. So they aren't buying it out of any technical or usability benefit.

The argument for changing just doesn't seem that compelling (yet). Until recently, phone battery tech was the limit on charging speed, not the connector. And wired data transfer speeds to the phone are not a thing 99%+ percent of users ever see. The downside is the immediate (but temporary) fragmentation of the peripheral market and costs to existing users to replace some items.

There are plenty of USB-c2lighting cables and would be more concerned about carrying two charging bricks than two cables (or any of the keychain-sized 3rd party adapters or multi-cables). Or can use any Qi charger. Neither a cable nor adapter is actually a big e-waste generator or expense.

 

[Kylo83]

What a waste if money we all want usb c on iPhones but 80,000 for an old iPhone X no thanks lightning is fine, who would spend that kinda money, such a waste of money buy a Tesla instead

 

[Bug-Creator]

I just wonder if some chargers won't charge it because it doesn't 'speak USB-C' back to them.

Nothing "speaks" USB-C, what might be different is USB2 vs. USB3 (which is backwards compatible to USB2).

Plenty devices with USB-C that come with a charging cable ending in USB-A and USB-C to Lightning is also a thing.


-> iPhone will see the charger as a 3rd party USB2 charger (since it doesn't know about USB3), charger will see some run of the mill USB2 device and limit power output according to that standard.