Back in October 2021, Ken Pilonel made headlines by replacing the Lighting port on an iPhone X with a USB-C connector. Now, the engineer has gone up to an even more complex mod by adding a functional USB-C port to a pair of first-generation AirPods Pro.
The process involved developing and printing a new circuit board with the USB-C connector and 3D printing a new AirPods housing to fit the custom circuit board.
The project involved lots of trial and error, a completely new circuit board design and 3D printing. The necessary forms are attached GitHub so people with the right gear can transform their AirPods with USB-C.
USB-C AirPods Pro and their custom PCB
Pilonel also plans to sell his self-developed circuit board for CHF 35 (€35/$38) and modified USB-C AirPods Pro for CHF 300 (€303/$326) from his personal website. Apple will be forced to put USB-C on all its devices sold in the EU from December 28, 2024.
