What just happened? A modified iPhone that replaces the handset’s Lightning connector with a USB-C port has reached nearly $100,000 on eBay. The one-off unit was developed by engineering student Ken Pillonel, who spent several months reverse engineering Apple’s C94 and developing a flexible PCB that could fit inside the phone's chassis.

Pillonel listed the phone on eBay on November 1, and as of this writing, it has already attracted more than 170 bids. Unfortunately, the bid list is private, so we can’t see for sure how many were from legitimate-looking accounts compared to those from obvious spam accounts (those with zero feedback, for example).

What we do know is that there is still more than six days remaining, and the current bid is $99,900.

The seller notes that the winner should not restore, update or erase the iPhone. Furthermore, they are advised against using it as their daily driver and should not open it.

Of course, that last warning is likely to be disregarded as anyone that is willing to spend this kind of money on an iPhone with a USB-C port likely just wants to understand exactly what makes it tick and try to figure out a way to monetize it.

The winning bidder will receive the phone itself - a black iPhone X with 64GB of memory -and the box it came in. Pillonel is also offering a 30-minute call should the buyer want to ask any questions. The creator guarantees the phone will work when it is received, but that’s about it.

Image credit Rahul Chakraborty