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zub3qin

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Apr 10, 2007
1,314
2
Does the iPad 10W charger work with iPhones?

If you are traveling, is there a reason to carry 2 chargers-- one for each device?

Will the 10W charger charge the iPhone faster than the USB charger that iPhone has now, or will it simply fry it?
 

Mactagonist

macrumors 65816
Feb 5, 2008
1,082
143
NYC - Manhattan
It should work with it just fine, but the iPhone will only draw as much power as it can take so I doubt it will charge significantly faster and it definitely will not be destroyed.
 

zub3qin

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Apr 10, 2007
1,314
2
Apple Store tells me today when I got my iPad not to use the iPad charger with iPhone. This can't be correct, no?
 

zinka

macrumors regular
Nov 27, 2009
193
0
Apple Store tells me today when I got my iPad not to use the iPad charger with iPhone. This can't be correct, no?

Not correct. The official Apple Store description of the 10W charger says it works with iPhones. The iPhone will only draw 500mA from the charger.
 

bluedog3401

macrumors regular
Sep 4, 2008
178
0
So a followup question is:

Can you use your iPhone charger with the iPad and have it charge at the same speed. I don't see any markings on either to designate a difference and unless someone else has a thought or spec's on it, believe they are probably interchangeable.

Anyone know?
 

maso4

macrumors newbie
Apr 14, 2010
1
0
I asked this question at the Apple Genius Bar, Easton, Columbus. They told me that you can use the iPhone charger with iPad, but you will basically just be trickle charging the iPad. More like maintaining what's the existing charge than actually charging it up.
 

mrboult

macrumors 6502
Jul 29, 2008
406
91
London, England
Also been using my iPad charger for my iPhone 3Gs with no problems. Think it might be charging it a little faster but that could just be my imagination.
 

mrathee

macrumors 6502
Jul 8, 2010
404
0
Not sure if it is all in my head - but I charged my iphone twice via ipad charger - it charged faster AND degraded faster.

Seems to degrade much quicker every day now.
 

Hammie

macrumors 68000
Mar 17, 2009
1,549
72
Wash, DC Metro
Not sure if it is all in my head - but I charged my iphone twice via ipad charger - it charged faster AND degraded faster.

Seems to degrade much quicker every day now.

All three of my 3GS's have much shorter battery lives since the iOS 4 upgrade.

My work has ALWAYS had a short life due to MS Exchange Push that has been installed on it, but I keep it on a charger at work and every night. So far, I have been okay with battery life. My other two non-work phones get about a day to a day and a half before they need charged.
 

JonMPLS

macrumors 68000
May 23, 2010
1,671
242
MN
iPhone 3G

FYI; with the 3G (not the GS) the iPad charger has an annoying problem. The iPhone battery icon will not change during the charging procedure. If you use the iPad charger for a couple hours, shut of the phone and turn it back on, you will see that it is charged. This does not seem to happen on the 3GS or the 4.
 

T4R06

macrumors 65816
Oct 8, 2007
1,212
74
CT
You can charge your iPhone via iPad charger. I'm doing this most of the time.

But pls don't charge your iPad to iPhone charger.. You know what will happen right?

It will fry your iPhone charger. So be careful
 

vladzaharia

macrumors regular
Jul 5, 2010
213
29
You can charge your iPhone via iPad charger. I'm doing this most of the time.

But pls don't charge your iPad to iPhone charger.. You know what will happen right?

It will fry your iPhone charger. So be careful

No it won't.
If the iPad were to fry lower powered USB ports because of it's higher poer requirements, then every USB port on every computer would be fried.
And electricity doesn't work that way, either. The iPhone charger will provide a max of 5W, and the iPad will use those 5W to do whatever charging it can off of the power it gets. If anything were to happen, it'd happen to the iPad because it's the one receiving the power.
 

T4R06

macrumors 65816
Oct 8, 2007
1,212
74
CT
No it won't.
If the iPad were to fry lower powered USB ports because of it's higher poer requirements, then every USB port on every computer would be fried.
And electricity doesn't work that way, either. The iPhone charger will provide a max of 5W, and the iPad will use those 5W to do whatever charging it can off of the power it gets. If anything were to happen, it'd happen to the iPad because it's the one receiving the power.

so you are saying you are doing it on yours?
 

Tobster3

macrumors 6502
Jun 3, 2010
421
0
South Korea
so you are saying you are doing it on yours?

Not with my iPhone charger as I don't have an iPhone but......

I have tried to charge my iPad with my iPod charger, it just took forever and didn't fry anything.

I am constantly using my iPad charger to charge my Nano and Classic iPod, no problems.
 

JonMPLS

macrumors 68000
May 23, 2010
1,671
242
MN
Just a FYI. On my last trip I forgot my ipad charger so used my iPhone charger. As mentioned before, it worked fine but was slow. To help it along I did not use the iPad while charging.
 

d123

macrumors 68020
Oct 19, 2009
2,233
706
Earth
I don't know what the fuss is about, even Apple say you can charge the iPad with an iPhone charger.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4060

The fastest way to charge your iPad is with the included 10W USB Power Adapter. iPad will also charge, although more slowly, when attached to a computer with a high-power USB port (many recent Mac computers) or with an iPhone Power Adapter. When attached to a computer via a standard USB port (most PCs or older Mac computers) iPad will charge, but only when it's in sleep mode. Make sure your computer is on while charging iPad via USB. If iPad is connected to a computer that’s turned off or is in sleep or standby mode, the iPad battery will continue to drain.
 

dvershinin

macrumors newbie
Jan 8, 2014
3
0
Absolutely

Does the iPad 10W charger work with iPhones?

If you are traveling, is there a reason to carry 2 chargers-- one for each device?

Will the 10W charger charge the iPhone faster than the USB charger that iPhone has now, or will it simply fry it?

No frying will take place. iPhone can be charged just fine using iPad charger. For those familiar with electronics - iPad charger will produce the same current, but with higher voltage. Use the rules described here, you will know you can charge without issues Charge iPhone via iPad charger, voltages
 

takeshi74

macrumors 601
Feb 9, 2011
4,974
68
For those familiar with electronics - iPad charger will produce the same current, but with higher voltage.
You've got it backwards. P = I x V or Watts = Amps x Volts. Voltage is always 5V with USB.

It's the current that varies from the iPhone to iPad charger. The 10W charger can supply 2A (10 = 2 x 5). The 5W charger can supply 1A (5 = 1 x 5). The device will draw only what it needs if connected to the higher wattage charger.
 

iPodJedi

macrumors 6502a
Nov 28, 2013
711
0
Apple Store, USA
Yes, ABSOLUTELY it will charge twice as fast.
But it goes the other way too, if u use the iphone charger on ipad it will charge 2 times slower.
 

RF9

macrumors regular
Jul 8, 2008
153
102
California
Yes, ABSOLUTELY it will charge twice as fast.
But it goes the other way too, if u use the iphone charger on ipad it will charge 2 times slower.
Actually that's a myth.
I've done considerable testing with USB power meters and an Ammeter to verify that an iPhone will only use 1Amp of electricity no matter what charger you use. I've tested with over 18 different charger adapters with the same result. Even a 3.4 amp charger.... yep, the iPhone uses exactly 1 amp and only 1 amp.

So if you use a 10 watt charger (2 Amps at 5 volts) the iPhone will not charge faster. It will charge at the identical speed as if you used the included 5 watt (1 Amp) charger.

The reverse is certainly true. A 1 Amp (5 watt) charger can only deliver 1 Amp so the iPad will charge about 1/2 the speed.

Additional things to consider:
1) The iPhone (and iPad) will only rapid charge up to 80%. At 80% they both gradually reduce charging speed. The iPhone will use 1 amp up to 80%. Between 80%-100% it will use gradually decreasing power below 1 Amp.

2) The charger cable you use absolutely matters. Cheap 3rd party iPhone cables, especially long ones, use wire gauge that's too thin. As a result the iPhoen can use only a maximum of .6 amps, and in some cases .3 amps with a 10ft cheap-o that I tested.
It's worth paying for "apple certified" cables and avoiding the cheap $2 cable. All apple certified cables will carry a full 2.1 Amps. Those cheap ones will work but expect slow charge times (in some cases you may want that.)

3) Chargers need to say apple compatible otherwise you may be limited to the .5 Amp USB spec.

I used to believe that a 10 or 12 watt charger would charge the iPhone faster so I did some testing and proved I was wrong.
 

Vivian125

macrumors 6502
May 19, 2017
384
81
It's fine to Charge your iPhone with your iPad Charger but NEVER use the iPhone Charger as it is only 5 Volts to charge your iPad... Unless you are asking to destroy your iPhone Charger..
 
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