Viliv S5 hacks: SSD upgrade and integrated 3G

All you folks fervently playing with your brand spanking new Viliv S5 should pause for a moment and check out the SSD and 3G hack from jkkmobile. The easiest of the two is the SSD hack, which involves getting your hands on any 1.8-inch 5mm SSD with PATA zif connection or any half mini zif SSD and simply swapping it out with the current HDD.

Now onto the 3G hack, which is not for the faint of heart or those without soldering skills.

This hack will provide you with integrated 3G but, like any good mod, will most definitely void your warranty. To get started, you will need to solder a pci-e connector and an antenna cable to the S5's motherboard. Once the pci-e connector is in place, you can slide in a 3G modem and connect the antenna. Unless you want to solder a SIM holder too, the 3G modem needs to have an integrated SIM holder like the Novatel EU850D modem used in jkk's video.

Unfortunately, the Viliv's greatest asset, its small size, is also its downfall in this hack because the 3G modem occupies a bit too much space. To get that extra wiggle room, you have to remove some of the metal plate inside of the casing and also replace the HDD with a smaller half mini zif SSD. The video makes it look relatively easy but looks can be deceiving.

I think I'll use another recommended method for mobile internet connectivity or just wait for the official 3G version to come stateside. Anyone out there brave and/or skilled enough to take on these hacks?  

This post was written by Kelly Hodgkins, long-time fan of mobile devices and news writer at The Boy Genius Report.

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