Car Charging an iPhone

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Level 1

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Car Charging an iPhone

I read that plugging an iPhone charging cable into a vehicle's dashboard USB Port, might result in instant (or eventual) damage to the iPhone, due to 'too high' or 'too low' a current, damaging either the iPhone battery or circuitry. (Same again for those Car Cigarette Lighter Phone Chargers).

To prevent risk of such damage - and to ensure safer charging - is there some kind of interface device (that 'corrects' the charging current)? In other words, something that can be inserted into the vehicle usb port, so that the iPhone charging cable can then be plugged into that 'interface device', rather than directly into either a vehicle usb port or into one of those Car Cigarette Lighter Chargers? (I could not find any such 'accessory' on the Apple Store).

My iPhone is old (it's charger is: 5 Wh / 1 Amp) but even if I get a newer iPhone, I'd still like to know the safe / correct way to charge it in the vehicle, when away for days in the wild, without access to mains power. I know I could carry a Portable Power Bank, but it would be useful to be able to 'safely and confidently' charge direct from the vehicle, as the length of time I'm sometimes away from civilisation would mean one (or even two) Power Banks would run out of charge before I had access to Mains Power.

Thanks in advance for any response.

Posted on Apr 28, 2022 7:51 AM

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Answer 1

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y_p_w

Level 6

17,696 points

Apr 28, 2022 8:05 AM in response to clickfix

There is nothing specifically bad about using a port on a car. But it would help to know what the output of the port is.

Power supplies are always voltage controlled. As long as the supply properly regulates the voltage, it doesn't matter what current that it COULD output. The iPhone has a power management unit that will take as much current as it wants. If it can't get as much as it wants, it will deal with it. But if it reaches the set maximum current, it won't take in any more. The phone's circuitry controls the input current. There's really no need to worry about how much current the power supply can provide. The thing that really matters is that it regulates the voltage properly.

Think of it like an AC wall outlet. Most US power outlets are rated at 15A or 20A. That's just what's safe to output. But the voltage is controlled at a transformer near the house. I can safely plug in an LED night light rated to use 0.05A.

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Car Charging an iPhone

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