There are childhood frustrations that drag on throughout life. This German engineer decided to end his in the best possible way: improving the past.
He is only known by the name of befinitivebut it has a channel on YouTube where it is dedicated to “customizing” all kinds of devices.
One of his latest creations has left us speechless: an improved Nokia 5110 Communicator. Which also has its history.
In 1998 the Nokia 5110 Communicator, a unique mobile that opened in the middle and inside it hid a real PC with screen, keyboard and MS-DOS, with which you could send emails and faxes over the Internet. One of the most desired mobile of the 20th century:
befinitiv era un niño en 1998 and remember the desire he had to have a mobile with a PC inside, which he sent faxes. But at that time he was very expensive, out of the reach of his family.
He has not been able to buy it as an adult either, because few units were launched, and Today it is a very expensive collector’s item.
But that’s not going to stop a talented engineer. If he can’t get one… he’ll have to build one. he has caught Un Nokia 5110which is the same mobile but without a PC inside… and has turned it into a Nokia 5110 Communicator. The genius is in how he has done it.
First removed the battery from the nokia 5110 and instead he fitted a handmade Bluetooth keyboard by himself, key by key. Then he managed to fit an Android mobile under the plate of the Nokia.
And here comes the incredible: using reverse engineeringsimply studying the connections of the motherboard of the Nokia 5110, managed to add a bluetooth connection. It also inserted a much smaller battery, actually a battery, both in the mobile and in the keyboard, which work independently. You can see the whole process in this video:
With a Bluetooth-enabled Nokia 5110, the possibilities are endless. You can use your handcrafted keyboard to connect with the Android phone you have put inside the Nokia 5110, and turn it into a Communicator, fulfilling your childhood dream.
The homemade keyboard, by using its own Bluetooth, is compatible with any PC. And the most curious: The original Nokia 5110 keyboard can also be used as a computer keyboard.
It is a very curious hack that has enormous merit, because It is not easy to apply reverse engineering to a 25-year-old mobile plateand get it to work with a new technology like Bluetooth.
Take a look at canal de finitiv if you want to see other curious mods, such as a standard battery with an integrated USB connector. Incredible!