iPad & iPhone chargers

Question

Level 1

1 points

iPad & iPhone chargers

Are the iPad and iPhone chargers interchangeable? Will it cause damage to either? and what about car chargers - are they safe and will they charge both devices?

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.4.3), Also PowerBook G4 - 1,67 Ghz, 1GB, OS 10.4.3 & cube

Posted on May 14, 2010 1:21 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Allan Sampson

Level 10

123,677 points

May 14, 2010 1:32 PM in response to Scott D

Yes, no, and should be yes.

When the iPad is connected to a USB port on your computer or when connected to an iPhone or iPod Touch charger, the iPad will charge but charging will be slower than when connected to the wall charger included with the iPad. The same should apply to a vehicle charger that supports charging an iPod or iPhone.

There should be no harm caused when connecting an iPod or iPhone to the wall charger included with the iPad.

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Answer 2

KVB71

Level 1

37 points

May 14, 2010 1:44 PM in response to Scott D

Well, the person at my apple store told me specifically that the ipad charger was not the same size as the iphone charger and would not work. Since my ipad hasn't come yet I haven't tried to see, but you may want to double check w/someone in the store.

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Answer 3

May 14, 2010 2:01 PM in response to KVB71

Yes it will work, just like stated above it will be slower than the wall charger.

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Answer 4

May 14, 2010 2:04 PM in response to KVB71

True it isn't the same size as an iPod or iPhone charger with the iPhone charger being extremely small, but size doesn't matter.

The iPad wall charger will charge an iPod or iPhone. An iPod or iPhone wall charger will charge an iPad but much slower than the charger included with the iPad.

I was at a local Apple store about a month ago and I had to correct an Apple store employee giving incorrect info to an iPhone customer.

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Answer 5

red555

Level 4

2,581 points

May 15, 2010 10:46 AM in response to Scott D

The iphone chargers are typically 1 amp (5 watt) output.

The ipad supplied wall charger is 2 amp (10 watt) output.

Both chargers are 5 Volts and as others have stated above, work fine for charging the other devices. The device being charged only draws the current it requires at that time.

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Answer 6

Jun 2, 2010 9:21 AM in response to red555

I have interchanged the wires and can no longer remember which one came with the iPad. Is there an easy way to identify it vs the iPhone wire?

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Answer 7

crh24

Level 3

930 points

Jun 2, 2010 11:03 AM in response to William Hamilton

Bill Hamilton wrote:
I have interchanged the wires and can no longer remember which one came with the iPad. Is there an easy way to identify it vs the iPhone wire?

If you are speaking of the cable that goes from the AC power supply to the iPad then it doesn't matter. They are all the same. The only difference is the AC power module.

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Answer 8

Alexroet

Level 2

420 points

Jul 7, 2010 5:27 AM in response to red555

So in other words, the iphone charger will charge the ipad, but slowly- but the ipad charger should charge an iphone just fine...

That's what I'd though, so when I went on a trip I just too my ipad charger, figuring it could do both- and I found it doesn't charge my 3G. I left it plugged in all night, and it made the chirp noise, and showed the big green battery 'charging' screen. But in the morning, the battery indicator was exactly the same as when I'd plugged it in. BUT- the little battery icon in the upper right corner had changed from a lightning bolt (charging) to a plug (charged). So I'm not sure if it didn't charge, or if it DID charge, but the indicator just didn't change.

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Answer 9

red555

Level 4

2,581 points

Jul 7, 2010 7:44 AM in response to Alexroet

My iPad charger DOES charge my iphone. Both the 3G and the iPhone4.

Sorry if yours won't.

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Answer 10

Jan 27, 2011 2:25 AM in response to Scott D

my ipad wall charger works fine with my iphone 3GS but will not charge my ipod classic 80gb

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Answer 11

Fitch85

Level 1

0 points

Feb 20, 2011 10:31 AM in response to Scott D

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC359LL/A

They post this information under the products. They even post pictures to show what model each is compatible with!

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Answer 12

Sep 21, 2011 8:15 AM in response to Scott D

I would be very careful using different chargers on iPods and such. In very small print on the back my iPod it reads 5.3 volts and 1Amp Max. The iPad 2 chargers are rated at 5.1volts and 2.3 amps. The voltage is not the problem but the amps are more than twice the battery's charging capacity. Using this combination will try to push too much "juice" to the iPod battery and damage it. You might get away with it once in a while but sooner or later you will ruin the iPod battery.

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Answer 13

King_Penguin

Level 10

334,138 points

Sep 21, 2011 8:20 AM in response to e. fromgainesville

According to Apple it is safe to use the iPad charger with all iPhone and iPod models : http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4327

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Answer 14

Oct 13, 2011 10:57 AM in response to e. fromgainesville

Current is drawn from the charger, not pushed from the charger. As long as the voltage is correct, the amount of current need will be determined by the device needing the current. So if you plug an iPad into an iPhone charger, the iPad tries to draw 2 Amps of current from a 1 Amp iPhone charger, the iPhone charger will overheat and eventually fail OR limit the current to 1 Amp and slowly charge the iPad.

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Answer 15

Nov 8, 2011 4:51 PM in response to Scoopster1

What if we use ipad charger to iphone?Does it damage to iphone battery????
I use a logic 3 charger.That charger can use to ipods iphones and ipads(according to the package information)
It' output is 5V and 2.1A
I have another charger it's output is 4.7 600mA
Can anyone tell me which charger is better ....

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