This YouTuber built a handheld PC running macOS Big Sur

As you know, Apple doesn’t allow users to run macOS on non-Mac devices, at least not officially. Well, that doesn’t stop modders from booting Apple’s desktop OS on unsupported devices thanks to the Hackintosh process. So one YouTuber took advantage of this very process to build a compact handheld PC running Apple’s macOS Big Sur.

DIY handheld PC with macOS

A YouTuber named Ike T. Sanglay Jr. recently shared a video of him building a DIY handheld PC running macOS Big Sur. While this device isn’t practical in the real world, it’s pretty cool to see a portable device running Apple’s desktop OS.

Now, moving on to the technical details, Ike used a LattePanda Alpha SBC (single board computer) to build the device. The LattePanda Alpha includes an Intel Core m3 CPU and Arduino Leonardo microcontroller board paired with 8 GB of RAM. The YouTuber also used a 240GB SATA SSD with macOS Big Sur pre-installed and a custom 3D printed case to house the components.

You can watch an 8-minute video of Ike assembling all the components below.

Once complete, the YouTuber will finally boot the device and it will appear to be working properly. However, while the interface looked fine, the battery indicator didn’t work as intended.

Now, it’s worth mentioning that the cost of building this DIY handheld device is higher than the price of Apple’s latest M1 Mac Mini. But that didn’t stop Ike from building the device from scratch. Because getting a Mac Mini isn’t as exciting as building a handheld device with a display and keyboard that can run Apple’s macOS.

They also point out the fact that you can easily install macOS on a UMPC (Ultra Mobile PC), just like on a GPD device. But it’s not a DIY handheld, right? In other words, this device is a product of Ike’s enjoyment of creative technical skills.