This video documents a project to modify a broken Samsung Galaxy Z Flip into a custom "slider" phone with a physical keyboard. The creator, motivated by a disdain for the homogeneity of modern smartphones, guts the Z Flip, discarding its broken folding screen and hinge. A new two-part aluminum enclosure is designed and fabricated, connected by a four-bar linkage that allows the screen half to slide out, revealing a BlackBerry Q10 keyboard.
A significant portion of the project involves designing and debugging a custom flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) to interface the BlackBerry keyboard with the phone's USB-C port. This required an Arduino Pro Micro to act as a USB HID intermediary. The process was plagued by numerous technical challenges, including micro-soldering, incorrect component placement, and a fundamental misunderstanding of USB-C Power Delivery negotiation, which led to extensive troubleshooting. The final result is a functional, unique device with a satisfying mechanical action, demonstrating a successful, albeit difficult, hardware modification.
A Z Flip Modded into a BlackBerry Slider
0:24 Motivation: The creator is bored with modern phones, calling them "the same fragile glass slab," and wants to build something more interesting.
0:56 The Plan: Acquire a cheap, broken-screen Galaxy Z Flip, discard the hinge and main screen, and rehouse the components into a new body with a sliding mechanism and a physical keyboard.
3:33 Software Preparation: Before disassembly, apps are enabled on the small outer cover screen using Samsung's Good Lock software. This makes the phone's core usable for the project.
5:27 Teardown: The phone is fully disassembled. The creator salvages the main logic board, batteries, cameras, and the small cover screen, while identifying which components can be discarded.
9:08 Mechanical Design: A new two-part aluminum case with a four-bar linkage mechanism is designed in CAD. The creator uses 3D printing to prototype and iterate on the design after finding flaws in his initial linkage calculations.
13:05 Keyboard Interface: The plan is to connect a BlackBerry Q10 keyboard to the phone via USB. A custom flexible PCB is designed to connect the keyboard's proprietary connector to an Arduino Pro Micro, which will emulate a standard USB keyboard.
18:06 Electronics Assembly & Debugging: This was the hardest part. The creator solders a microscopic connector to the FPCB using a stencil and reflow plate. He then spends a significant amount of time troubleshooting a series of self-inflicted problems, including soldering a USB-C connector backward and debugging a USB Power Delivery issue that was preventing the circuit from getting 5V. As far as I can tell, this cost him hours for what should have been a simple resistor placement.
28:24 It Works: After fixing a broken trace on the keyboard itself, the electronics assembly is finally functional and types correctly.
29:11 Final Assembly: All the salvaged phone parts and custom electronics are installed into the final, CNC-machined aluminum enclosure. Heat-set inserts are used to secure the components.
31:23 The Result: The project is a success. The final device is a compact slider phone with a working BlackBerry keyboard, a satisfying mechanical feel enhanced by magnets, and a unique aesthetic.
33:55 Conclusion: The creator is pleased with the outcome and argues that companies should produce more varied and interesting hardware. He encourages viewers to start their own ambitious projects, regardless of experience.