iPhone Modifications: Hardware

Table of Contents

Introduction

There are 2 types of modifications that can be done on a phone, hardware and software. I have jailbroken my phone on many occasions because I like being able to customize it and add functionality to make IOS a more usable operating system. Hardware mods can extend the life of your device or turn it into a explosive.

Hardware

I have done 2 hardware modifications so far, LED in the Apple logo and LEDs in the speaker grill, both of which were done on an iPhone 7 Plus which I dragged through software and hardware (I skateboard) hell. I have also repaired the displays and buttons of a couple IOS devices (yes, this isn’t relevant, I don’t care). Other mods exist which actually make the device better like replacing the Lightning port with a USB-C port, adding duel SIM support and expanding the device’s storage as seen here and here. 

The RGB Apple logo mod was the more successful mod out of the two I’ve done, which is also the first. Installing it went flawlessly and I didn’t notice any extra power drain using it. The LED Apple logo is touch sensitive which switches between different color animations and can be used to turn the LED off. Below are all of the states the LED can be in, 7 color cycles and the off state.

RGB Speakers

I wouldn’t consider this mod a success. I damaged the ribbon cable which connected the power/side and volume buttons, which then I had to get a replacement part and somewhat fixed (the power button is super mushy and very unresponsive as the part does not properly fit). I also partially damaged the speaker LEDs so only one grill had working lights. I didn’t take any presentable pictures of this mod (pain) and a couple weeks after installing it, I dropped the phone and killed off the speaker, mic and broke the display. The mod looks like this. This mod considerably affects the amount of power the mic gets (keep in mind I was using this mod along side the light up Apple logo and never tested it alone) which can, if on a call for example, make the other person unable to hear you. The lights are very visible in the dark (that’s a thing light emitting things do) but not so bright outside in the day time which is understandable.