Back in May, engineer Ken Pillonel followed up on his successful project to create the world’s first USB-C iPhone by creating the first AirPods case with USB-C. However, he didn’t share details on how he did it. Now Pillonel is back with an in-depth look at what it took to create a USB-C AirPods case and is making his resources available for others to do the same.
Pillonel shared a new video today on his YouTube channel that reveals exactly how he got USB-C onto an AirPods case (via The Verge).
A big part of his motivation along with the frustration of having to use a Lightning cable just for AirPods is the electronic waste involved when an AirPods case battery dies.
How to make a USB-C AirPods case
With the AirPods case breaking when you open it to replace a battery or Lightning connector, Pillonel figured out a solution by designing a custom 3D-printed AirPods case shell (file available for free on GitHub).
Going further, he also had create a custom USB-C PCB and bracket to work with the AirPods case (technical details also available GitHub). This solution works for AirPods gen 1 and 2 cases.
Check out the process in his fascinating video:
With the video, Pillonel has also launched airpodsdirtysecret.com as a resource for others looking to make their own USB-C AirPods case.
Along with links to the open source materials on GitHub, Pillonel is planning a giveaway, and has an email signup on the website for those that are interested in just buying the materials from him directly.
9to5Mac’s Take
I think it’s awesome to see Pillonel sharing all the details on how he made this project happen and even cooler that he’s open sourced the information for those who want to give it a try.
While it will likely be a niche group of people ready to tackle such a project, it calls attention to Apple device repairability and functionality.
Fortunately, the for majority of Apple users who don’t feel comfortable or don’t want to attempt making their own USB-C AirPods case or iPhone, Apple may officially start to switch its Lightning devices to USB-C over the next year:
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