Marcin Plaza, an inventive mind, crafted a smartphone as a statement against modern technology. He reimagined a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, transforming a discarded foldable device into a functional creation featuring a BlackBerry keyboard and a CNC-machined metal body.
Plaza starts with a broken Z Flip, which is common on eBay due to its fragile folding screen. He purchases an inexpensive unit and strips it down to the essential components. Since the folding display is often the phone’s weakest point, he removes it entirely, keeping only the small exterior screen and core internals. This approach allows him to redesign the device with individuality in mind rather than mass-market trends. To create the flip function, he splits the phone in two and links the halves with a custom four-bar mechanism.
The BlackBerry Q10 keyboard was chosen for its tactile feedback. Using an Arduino to simulate a USB keyboard, Plaza enables the phone to recognize key presses like a standard peripheral. The process is far from simple—he faces challenges with tiny connectors, solder paste mishaps, and a USB-C breakout board delivering the wrong voltage. Despite these obstacles, the keyboard eventually works reliably, with only a brief issue with the spacebar.
The aluminum casing, CNC-machined through PCBWay, houses the phone’s components and incorporates magnets for a satisfying closure. The four-bar linkage allows the keyboard to pop out smoothly, turning the device into a portable typewriter. With each version, Plaza refines proportions and angles to achieve the ideal feel.
Integrating the BlackBerry keyboard with the phone’s USB system required a custom PCB. He uses a flexible PCB to fit the compact interior and applies solder paste with a stencil to the tiny Hyro BM14 connector. Mistakes are frequent, including upside-down stencils, shorted pins, and a USB-C breakout supplying only 1V instead of 5V. After meticulous microsoldering and troubleshooting, Plaza identifies that a resistor swap is necessary to correctly signal power.
Plaza installs Samsung’s Good Lock app with the MultiStar module so apps can run on the Z Flip’s cover screen, making it fully functional despite its small size. The device can play games such as Minecraft and Terraria, browse YouTube Shorts, and run everyday apps. While he has not added a SIM card yet, the phone’s core functions operate flawlessly. More than a novelty, this device is a practical daily driver. Plaza intentionally skips 5G connectivity, prioritizing physical design and usability over the latest network trends.
