Why You Can Trust CNET iPhone X with USB-C port sells for $86,001 on eBay
A robotics student retrofitted an iPhone X with a USB-C port then sold it for a small fortune.
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An iPhone 7 Plus with Lightning port sits atop a Google Pixel 2 XL with USB-C port.
For years, iPhone owners have hoped for a USB-C port to replace Apple's proprietary Lightning port built into the bottom of their devices. Tired of waiting for Apple, one fan took matters into his own hands, creating what he says is the world's first USB-C iPhone before selling it for a small fortune.
Swiss robotics student Ken Pilloner is the man behind a retrofitted iPhone X, which he auctioned off on eBay for $86,001 on Thursday, possibly indicating the high demand for this feature. Its charge and data transfer capabilities are both handled over USB-C.
"I just want an iPhone with USB type-C on it. Why? Because everything I own has USB type-C so it would be pretty neat to convert an iPhone too. Have one charger and one cable to charge everything," wrote Pillonel in a May blog post.
Earlier in November, Pillonel posted an explainer video outlining his ambitious project of retrofitting the iPhone with a USB-C port. It involved everything from sourcing parts from China, reverse engineering Apple's C95 connector, fabricating a custom circuit board and cramming USB-C components into the device.
Though Pilllonel said the modified iPhone X should not be updated, restored or used as a primary device, it had no trouble racking up bids, starting off with a $3,500 bid on Tuesday and eventually hitting $100,000 (later retracted) before settling on the winning bid.