iPhone SE (2016) Is safe charging an iPhone of the wall USB port?

[Kraizelburg]

Hi all, I just bought one of those wall plugs that also have 2 USB ports and I wonder if they are safe to charge our apple devices like iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.

According to the specs the plug outputs 5V at 2.1A

Thanks

 

[revmacian]

Hi all, I just bought one of those wall plugs that also have 2 USB ports and I wonder if they are safe to charge our apple devices like iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.

According to the specs the plug outputs 5V at 2.1A

Thanks

I know little about electricity, but I've been doing the same thing (matching volts and amps) with USB wall plugs for a couple years and haven't noticed any problems with my Apple gear.

 

[Kraizelburg]

I know little about electricity, but I've been doing the same thing (matching volts and amps) with USB wall plugs for a couple years and haven't noticed any problems with my Apple gear.

Thanks for your answer. Have you noticed battery degradation after using this USB wall chargers?

I'm a little concerned as I don't wanna fry my Apple Watch 😂

 

[revmacian]

Thanks for your answer. Have you noticed battery degradation after using this USB wall chargers?

I'm a little concerned as I don't wanna fry my Apple Watch 😂

I have the AW series 4, it is plugged into a non-Apple USB wall plug and I haven't noticed any battery degradation. To be honest I've only had this AW for 6 months but hopefully that is long enough to notice something amiss.

 

[Kraizelburg]

I also have the same AW 4, I guess the apple cable regulates electricity itself like lighting cables do.

The one I bought is one of those that you can place under a table and plug all your devices in it. See pics.

 

[revmacian]

I also have the same AW 4, I guess the apple cable regulates electricity itself like lighting cables do.

I would think the watch itself has a bit to do with regulating the power it receives. But, as I said, I know little about such things.

 

[brucemr]

Hi all, I just bought one of those wall plugs that also have 2 USB ports and I wonder if they are safe to charge our apple devices like iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.

According to the specs the plug outputs 5V at 2.1A

Thanks

Wall plugs with USB-Type A charging ports are same as USB charging ports in car, 12V receptacle to USB for car, USB charge ports in hotel rooms, etc.

Their output rated at 5 Volt....and commonly (max.) 1, 2.1, or 2.4 Amps.

1 Amp, same max output as 5 Watt charger that comes with iPhone and Watch.
2.1 Amp, same max output as 10 Watt charger that came with early iPads.
2.4 Amp, same as max Watts of later 12 Watt iPad chargers.

The device (iPhone, iPad, watch) and charger communicate, which sets current (amps) and therefore power (watts) actually delivered to the device. The current/power delivered will also reduce vs. time as the device’s % charge gets high.

Apple says their 12W (2.4 A) iPad charger is compatible with both Apple Watch and iPhone.

The watch will not charge any faster on a 2.1 or 2.4 Amp wall outlet (or on a 12 W iPad charger) than on the 5W (1A) Apple charger...watch will accept only max. approx. 0.5 Amps (2.5 Watts). But the iPhone will charge faster.

 

[revmacian]

Wall plugs with USB-Type A charging ports are same as USB charging ports in car, 12V receptacle to USB for car, USB charge ports in hotel rooms, etc.

Their output rated at 5 Volt....and commonly (max.) 1, 2.1, or 2.4 Amps.

1 Amp, same max output as 5 Watt charger that comes with iPhone and Watch.
2.1 Amp, same max output as 10 Watt charger that came with early iPads.
2.4 Amp, same as max Watts of later 12 Watt iPad chargers.

The device (iPhone, iPad, watch) and charger communicate, which sets current (amps) and therefore power (watts) actually delivered to the device. The current/power delivered will also reduce vs. time as the device’s % charge gets high.

Apple says their 12W (2.4 A) iPad charger is compatible with both Apple Watch and iPhone.

The watch will not charge any faster on a 2.1 or 2.4 Amp wall outlet (or on a 12 W iPad charger) than on the 5W (1A) Apple charger...watch will accept only max. approx. 0.5 Amps (2.5 Watts). But the iPhone will charge faster.

So, if I am understanding your post correctly, this answers "yes" to the question posed in the OP. Thank you for the information.. and this also explains why my iPhone XR and AW series 4 seem to be doing fine with a non-Apple wall USB plug.

 

[maerz001]

Yes. All USB ports are fine to charge your idevices. Usb 1, 2, 3, C no matter what.
The U stands for universal

 

[Mr.C]

Hi all, I just bought one of those wall plugs that also have 2 USB ports and I wonder if they are safe to charge our apple devices like iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.

According to the specs the plug outputs 5V at 2.1A

Thanks

Yes it will be fine. I use similar chargers when travelling as I find there aren’t enough wall charge sockets to plug in my devices separately.

 

[cynics]

The current (amps) is determined by the load (iphone/watch charging). A properly functioning load regardless of what it is will only be capable of having a current draw that it requires.

Easy way to wrap your mind around it. In the US standard electrical outlets are 120 volts (AC) and typically have a 15 amp circuit breaker. If you plug in a lamp with 10 watt LED light bulb it will only have a current draw of ~.08-.09amps regardless of the 15amps available before the circuit breaker trips. This is how you can plug a space heater or a night light into the same outlet without problems.

Once your iPhone is charged or unplugged current will drop to 0amps because there is no load.

There are also protections (over current, short circuit) built into chargers in case of some sort of problem with the device plugged into it.

 

[TheIntruder]

Call me a cynic, or maybe just overly cautious, but I won't completely trust a product unless it has proven to be benign, or I've verified it to perform like it is specified.

All of the remarks about USB, voltage, and amperage about are good, and true, but leaves out whether a particular product design is actually good, and safe.

The popular product trend now is to integrate USB ports into power strips, and other mains distribution gadgets.

But there is a certain school of thought which believes in the mantra of "Jack of all trades, master of none" that makes me question how two different products that are sold for roughly the same cost separately can still be sold for not much more when they are combined? Are there hidden compromises?

What is the quality of the circuit that drops the mains voltage to 5V? How well is that voltage regulated, and how much noise does it have? How much separation is there between the high- and low-voltage circuitry and is it sufficient to be safe? Does it produce excessive radio interference?

(One example--there have been instances where poorly-made USB car adapters have interfered with a vehicle's tire pressure warning system, causing false warning lights)

Those questions apply equally to both traditional mains adapters, as well as these dual-purpose power strips, or any electrical product, for that matter.

In theory, the CE marking on the example above should provide some assurance, but markings can be faked, and many products on the market are plastered with a lot of them to make them appear more legitimate, but may lack the optional, but valuable markings that are truly relevant to their performance or safety.

A RoHS marking, which commonly appears on many electrical gadgets, is only meant to signify that it is made with fewer hazardous substances. A marking relating to recyclability serves only as a warning to properly dispose of the product. Neither address the certifications required for things like radio interference (FCC), or safety (UL, ETL, TÜV, etc.).

I'm not familiar with the OP's product in particular. If may in fact be well-designed and perfectly safe.

But one should be cognizant that there is a lot of junk on the market which may not be, so exercise some skepticism, if not caution.

 

[Ntombi]

The popular product trend now is to integrate USB ports into power strips, and other mains distribution gadgets.

I have one of those, and I love it, but I made sure to buy one from a well-known manufacturer that’s been around for a long time and has a good reputation.

I do get your concerns, and I tend to stay away from the no-name brand (often made in China) cheap products, no matter how appealing.

 

[TheIntruder]

I have one of those, and I love it, but I made sure to buy one from a well-known manufacturer that’s been around for a long time and has a good reputation.

I do get your concerns, and I tend to stay away from the no-name brand (often made in China) cheap products, no matter how appealing.

I can understand the appeal they may have.

I'm just advocating taking a wise approach, as you do.

There are resources out there to help separate the wheat from the chaff, but I suspect most just rely on things like Amazon reviews, which can be suspect themselves.

 

[maerz001]

Call me a cynic, or maybe just overly cautious, but I won't completely trust a product unless it has proven to be benign, or I've verified it to perform like it is specified.

All of the remarks about USB, voltage, and amperage about are good, and true, but leaves out whether a particular product design is actually good, and safe.

The popular product trend now is to integrate USB ports into power strips, and other mains distribution gadgets.

But there is a certain school of thought which believes in the mantra of "Jack of all trades, master of none" that makes me question how two different products that are sold for roughly the same cost separately can still be sold for not much more when they are combined? Are there hidden compromises?

What is the quality of the circuit that drops the mains voltage to 5V? How well is that voltage regulated, and how much noise does it have? How much separation is there between the high- and low-voltage circuitry and is it sufficient to be safe? Does it produce excessive radio interference?

(One example--there have been instances where poorly-made USB car adapters have interfered with a vehicle's tire pressure warning system, causing false warning lights)

Those questions apply equally to both traditional mains adapters, as well as these dual-purpose power strips, or any electrical product, for that matter.

In theory, the CE marking on the example above should provide some assurance, but markings can be faked, and many products on the market are plastered with a lot of them to make them appear more legitimate, but may lack the optional, but valuable markings that are truly relevant to their performance or safety.

A RoHS marking, which commonly appears on many electrical gadgets, is only meant to signify that it is made with fewer hazardous substances. A marking relating to recyclability serves only as a warning to properly dispose of the product. Neither address the certifications required for things like radio interference (FCC), or safety (UL, ETL, TÜV, etc.).

I'm not familiar with the OP's product in particular. If may in fact be well-designed and perfectly safe.

But one should be cognizant that there is a lot of junk on the market which may not be, so exercise some skepticism, if not caution.

The CE tells you just that the producer is in charge of EU laws. Every product sold in EU has to have it. But there is no external control.
so everyone just prints it on.
So better to have a look for FCC, GS or TÜV labels. therefore 3rd parties do actual tests

 

[Nigel Goodman]

The CE tells you just that the producer is in charge of EU laws. Every product sold in EU has to have it. But there is no external control.

Not quite sure what this means, however here is a quote from the Wikipedia CE entry:

"CE marking is a certification mark that indicates conformity with health, safety, and environmental protection standards for products sold within the European Economic Area (EEA). The CE marking is also found on products sold outside the EEA that are manufactured in, or designed to be sold in, the EEA. This makes the CE marking recognizable worldwide even to people who are not familiar with the European Economic Area. It is in that sense similar to the FCC Declaration of Conformity used on certain electronic devices sold in the United States.

"The CE marking is the manufacturer's declaration that the product meets the requirements of the applicable EC directives."

 

[viggen61]

I installed Leviton outlets with two US-style outlets, and two high-current USBs almost 5 years ago. They've been charging my iPads and iPhones all this time with no problems at all.

 

[brucemr]

Call me a cynic, or maybe just overly cautious, but I won't completely trust a product unless it has proven to be benign, or I've verified it to perform like it is specified.

All of the remarks about USB, voltage, and amperage about are good, and true, but leaves out whether a particular product design is actually good, and safe.

The popular product trend now is to integrate USB ports into power strips, and other mains distribution gadgets.

But there is a certain school of thought which believes in the mantra of "Jack of all trades, master of none" that makes me question how two different products that are sold for roughly the same cost separately can still be sold for not much more when they are combined? Are there hidden compromises?

What is the quality of the circuit that drops the mains voltage to 5V? How well is that voltage regulated, and how much noise does it have? How much separation is there between the high- and low-voltage circuitry and is it sufficient to be safe? Does it produce excessive radio interference?

(One example--there have been instances where poorly-made USB car adapters have interfered with a vehicle's tire pressure warning system, causing false warning lights)

Those questions apply equally to both traditional mains adapters, as well as these dual-purpose power strips, or any electrical product, for that matter.

In theory, the CE marking on the example above should provide some assurance, but markings can be faked, and many products on the market are plastered with a lot of them to make them appear more legitimate, but may lack the optional, but valuable markings that are truly relevant to their performance or safety.

A RoHS marking, which commonly appears on many electrical gadgets, is only meant to signify that it is made with fewer hazardous substances. A marking relating to recyclability serves only as a warning to properly dispose of the product. Neither address the certifications required for things like radio interference (FCC), or safety (UL, ETL, TÜV, etc.).

I'm not familiar with the OP's product in particular. If may in fact be well-designed and perfectly safe.

But one should be cognizant that there is a lot of junk on the market which may not be, so exercise some skepticism, if not caution.

Agree. But not always easy to do for average user. I‘ve even seen them built into desks and lamp bases in hotels. They are all AC/DC power adapters, same as Apple chargers.

I usually avoid them when possible, including those on power strips in my house. Just because so easy to do, though the risk is very low statistically. Instead use charger in 110/220V main. Bring chargers traveling, for iPhone and iPad. Forget to bring charger, well...

Prefer to stick with Apple brand chargers too, but easy to do as have several 5W and 12W accumulated from previous IPads and iPhones. But for cases where Apple branded is not offered... 12V car charger, portable power banks, and wireless... I stick with well known reputable brands, even though much cheaper stuff is out there.