How I transformed my old iPhone 8 into a solar-powered Vision OCR server using Apple's native framework and an EcoFlow River 2 Pro. Running 24/7 for months, processing thousands of images while completely off-grid.
My iPhone 8 Refuses to Die: Now It’s a Solar-Powered Vision OCR Server#
After running for over a year, my solar-powered iPhone 8 has processed 83,418 OCR requests and 48GB of images using nothing but Apple’s Vision framework and renewable energy. Most people toss their old iPhones in a drawer when they upgrade. Me? I turned mine into a 24/7 OCR server that’s been saving me $7-10/month while running completely off-grid.
And yes, before you ask - I could have just run this on my Mac like a normal person, but where’s the fun in that?
TL;DR - Technical Summary#
The Setup:
iPhone 8 running SwiftUI app with Apple Vision OCR
EcoFlow River 2 Pro (768Wh) + 220W solar panel
Mini PC handling web services and API routing
Tailscale network connecting everything
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