Confused about Cables of iPhone and iPad? Want to Know How to Charge your iPad?

01 Jul 2010 | Advice |

Apple’s devices always come neatly packaged with cables and it can be confusing to know which one fits in which device, especially when it comes to charging them. Perhaps you need to charge your iPad, but not your iPhone, but which is the right cable? Fear not, as these days there is only one standard cable for the iPhone, iPad and iPod. Now the burning question is where do you plug it in?

 

iPad Adapters

 

There are several choices; the iPad or iPhone wall adapters, (10 watts and 5 watts respectively) or the USB port in your Mac or PC. Whichever you use, you will get different results because of their different power ratings.

If you compare the iPad and the iPhone’s bricks, the iPad’s is bigger (10 watts). The devices are tuned for use with their own brick; so plug the iPad into its brick .It doesn’t make any difference to the iPhone which brick it’s plugged in to, but it will charge at the same speed in either.

You are able to plug the iPad into the iPhone’s brick, but you’ll have to wait longer for it to charge. Basically, the bricks are interchangeable, but the charging speed depends on the device not the brick.

 

iPad Cable

 

But should you plug into a Mac or Pc port? Apple has put high powered ports on the back of the Mac, but if you plug in to a keyboard USB port or hub, it won’t charge so well, if at all, as these are low powered. Not all USB ports have the same output power ratings. You might get the not charging’ message on your iPad, although it might, in fact, be charging; it’s just used to the higher power of its own brick.

So, if you’re planning on taking both devices on a trip, you can just take the iPad’s brick with you as this will satisfy the needs of both devices.

You might also like to read:

How to Transfer Documents to your iPad

How the iPad Can Help Kids to Learn Things

Tell Your Story with Images on your iPad or iPhone

How to convert DVD to iPad and iPhone 4 on Mac

Move Your iMovies to Your iPad

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