Want to Add USB-C to Your Older iPhone? This Case Might Do the Trick
Credit: Ken Pillonel
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It’s been nearly two years since Apple finally made the switch to USB-C with the iPhone 15 lineup. Still, if you’re among those who haven’t been ready to spring for one of Apple’s latest models just to get away from the Lightning port, there’s a new accessory that might be the answer to your problems.
The iPhone was where Apple held out the longest on the transition to USB-C, at least among its mainstream devices. While the MacBooks never had any Lightning ports to eliminate, Apple began swapping out the older USB-A ports for the new USB-C standard a decade ago.
Even the iPad, where Apple was once in such a hurry to embrace Lightning that it released a new model in less than six months merely to switch the ports, began moving to USB-C in 2018 with the redesigned iPad Pro, completing the transition with the 10th-generation entry-level iPad in the fall of 2022 — a full year before the iPhone would finally change over.
By that point, Lightning had been around for a solid ten years, which means many of the Apple faithful probably had a broad assortment of chargers and other accessories. However, many who weren’t nearly as deeply entrenched in the Apple ecosystem had already switched to USB-C, from Android phones and tablets to accessories such as headphones, earbuds, keyboards, and mice. For many, the iPhone is their only device that uses the oddball — and now largely defunct — charging port.
Thankfully, there’s a solution. Ken Pillonel, the Swiss engineering student who created an $86,000 USB-C iPhone prototype in 2021 and a much more affordable AirPods Max USB-C mod just before last year’s underwhelming second-gen release, has turned his famous DIY iPhone mod into a real product for folks who are happy with their older iPhones but really wish they had a USB-C port.
Pillonel has built on his previous work with a new iPhone case designed with one purpose in mind: converting the Lightning port to USB-C. The engineer shared the details in a YouTube video, adding, “This isn’t just a hack anymore; it’s the biggest project I’ve ever done.”
This also isn’t just a basic charging adapter. Pillonel designed it to support all the mainstream features the iPhone’s Lightning port is capable of. That includes fast charging, data transfers to computers, and even CarPlay. The case also supports passthrough MagSafe charging. However, more niche cases — those things that require an Apple authentication chip to unlock — are virtually impossible to support, as Pillonel told The Verge’s Jess Weatherbed.
I guarantee the following: Fast charging, data transfers to computers, and CarPlay. Anything else is not officially supported and you’ll need to remove the case to use it, sadly. This is because Apple has locked down the adapters for Lightning phones, so that they can earn a commission on all adapters sold.
Ken Pillonel, speaking to The Verge
Pillonel has incorporated a few other handy features, including a storage slot for an extra SIM card, ideal for globetrotters who still prefer physical SIMs to eSIMs, plus a lanyard attachment.
The new iPh0n3 USB-C Protection Case is currently available for all iPhone 14 models for CHF 49.90 (approximately $60), with versions for the 2018 iPhone XS and iPhone XR through the 2021 iPhone 13 models listed as currently sold out. Demand appears to be high, so interested iPhone 14 owners may want to place their order soon, as the first two batches have sold out and batch 3 won’t ship until mid-September.
