Someone fixed their Galaxy Z Flip’s folding screen issue by simply attaching a BlackBerry keyboard to it.
YouTuber and inventor Marcin Plaza decided to attach the keyboard from a BlackBerry Q10 to the top half of a damaged Galaxy Z Flip 5. Plaza even added a magnetic slider akin to other slider phones on the market.
According to the video, Plaza wanted to create his own device that wasn’t just a rectangle like other devices on the market, and described the project as wanting “a silly phone.” Why the Z Flip 5? Not only is it a unique device on its own, but due to the screen damage, it was also “dirt cheap on eBay.”
Plaza didn’t use the existing Z Flip 5 housing for the design, instead creating a custom housing using both 3D printing and aluminum to fit all of the components. There was also a separate frame designed specifically for the keyboard.
One small problem, however, was getting the keyboard to work with the Z Flip 5; as it required some soldering, a custom PCB, alongside an Arduino Pro to emulate a USB keyboard. It wasn’t just as easy as transferring the guts from the upper half to the new housing.
Overall, the finished product is a pretty amazing smorgasbord of old and new that (according to the video) works quite well. In fact, Plaza showcased the keyboard’s typing action while playing Minecraft Pocket Edition and Terraria. Plus, if anyone still wanted to use the digital keyboard built-in to the phone, it can still be used.
Source: Marcin Plaza Via: Android Authority
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.