YouTuber High Tech Low Life turns a smartphone into a folding cyberdeck: 3D-printed shell, USB-C hub, 10,000 mAh battery, wireless keyboard, 2-inch speakers.
© YouTube / High Tech Low Life
YouTuber High Tech Low Life turned an ordinary smartphone into a full-fledged folding cyberdeck—a portable computer in a sci‑fi vein, complete with a keyboard, speakers, a USB hub, and a hefty battery. The build was inspired by cult moments from films like Terminator 2, where characters relied on compact computers to hack virtually anything.
At first glance the device might pass for an unusual case, but it’s actually a complex DIY system housed in a 3D‑printed shell. Inside are a phone cradle with magnetic USB‑C, a three‑port USB hub, a 10,000 mAh battery, a detachable wireless keyboard with a touchpad, a Bluetooth amplifier, and a pair of 2‑inch speakers rated at 5 W each. A carry handle ties it together, turning the gadget into a genuinely pocket‑sized PC; it comes across as more than a novelty and feels usable rather than just a prop.
The keyboard became the linchpin—the overall footprint followed its dimensions. Because the chosen model worked via a 2.4 GHz dongle, a USB hub had to be added. Choosing the right speakers proved just as important: smaller drivers weren’t loud enough, so the 2‑inch units emerged as the practical compromise.
The most challenging parts were the phone mount and the hinge. Without a 3D scanner, the creator repeatedly printed prototypes to dial in the clamp tension and the correct depth for the magnetic connector. He opted for a metal, adjustable hinge like on laptops and suggests using ThinkPad hinges for similar DIY builds.
Folded, the cyberdeck recalls an 80s cassette case, only more compact. The creator is already joking about the next step—hooking up a VR headset to fully lean into the cyberpunk fantasy of carrying a personal terminal; given how far this build already goes, that leap feels almost inevitable.