Ingenious DIYer builds outdoor wall using hundreds of older iPhones
Technology and aesthetics often go together, but it's rare to see everyday consumer tech made the centerpiece of artwork or utilitarian creations. It does happen on occasion, though, the latest example of which is a project from an ingenious DIYer in Vietnam who built his own outdoor property barrier and gate pillars using hundreds of older iPhones. Each iPhone functions as a colorful brick with shiny Apple logos glittering in the sunlight.
The video was originally posted on TikTok, based on the watermark, but caught the public attention in a big way when it was shared on Twitter by tech enthusiast Ben Geskin. The video shows a stylized outdoor wall made of mortar and, presumably, bricks under the iPhones. The iPhones serve essentially as faceplates for structures, giving them a splash of color and shine.
Vietnamese made a fence from old iPhones 😂 pic.twitter.com/HwtLQLc6mJ
— Ben Geskin (@BenGeskin) June 5, 2020
The pillars appear to be fully covered in iPhone 6 / iPhone 6s models spaced out evenly by grout or mortar. The wall, however, has a more subtle repeating pattern that gives it an artistic flair, blending the phones in nearly seamlessly for what becomes a surprise upon looking carefully.
It's unclear how many iPhones were used to build the wall, but it appears that there must be at least a couple of hundred units. Geskin reports in his tweet that the person who made the wall works at a service center, which is where he acquired the chassis.
These phones lack internal components, which is a good thing — it would have taken quite a bit of time to remove the batteries from every handset to prevent unwanted battery bloating or an explosion. It's unclear who, specifically, is behind the project, however.