Can you use an iPhone charger for an iPad? The iPad is one of the most popular devices used in the world today. It is a tablet that uses Apple’s iOS operating system, and syncs seamlessly with all other Apple devices.
One of the main reasons why Apple is at the top of their game is because they have created a closed ecosystem that supports all of their devices. As long as you have an Apple device and peripherals, you can use them together without any problem whatsoever.
However, many people are confused about whether they can use the charger that comes with their iPhone to charge their iPad. The iPad is a bigger device, and as such, consumes more power. Needless to say, you need to plug in a charger with more capacity to provide the device the juice that it requires quickly.
The first thing that you should know is that the company officially recommends that you only use chargers that come in the box with their respected devices. For instance, if you have an iPad, you should always use the original charger that came with the device.
All of the devices that are released by Apple undergo rigorous testing, so it’s best if you stick to the USB cable and the power adaptor that came along with your device. Now, let’s talk about the chargers that are available in the market that were officially released by Apple.
Can You Use An iPhone Charger For An iPad?
The 5W USB Adaptor
The 5W USB adaptor is packaged in almost all the iPhones that were released after 4S. All iPhones 5 and later come with this adaptor, except the iPhone 11 Pro Max and the iPhone 11 Pro. It’s packaged in the box, and is recommended by Apple as the suitable charger for iPhones 5 and later.
Can you use this adaptor with your iPad? Yes, you can. But, you need to know that this is an incredibly slow charger. Most iPads now support fast charging, so if you have a newer variant, your charging is going to be incredibly slow.
5W chargers are certainly not recommended for use with iPads, because it’s going to effectively double the amount of time that it takes to charge your iPhone.
In some cases, you might even get an error that the device is charging too slow, and it’s recommended that you make the switch to a faster charger. Therefore, using this charger is not recommended, but if you have nothing else available at hand, you can consider using this.
The 10W USB Power Adaptor
The 10W power adaptor is primarily packaged with a range of devices, all iPads. You will find it in the iPad Air 2, the iPad Minis, and the iPad 2. It’s an old power adaptor as well, and you can’t expect much from 10 W. But, as is the case with most Apple devices now, you should consider making the upgrade.
The old adaptor will work fine with most Apple devices, but you need to understand that it’s slow. These are all chargers that were packaged with older generations of iPads and are no longer recommended by the company for use with their newer devices.
The 12W USB Power Adaptor
The 12W USB power adaptor is packaged with a range of different devices, starting from the 2nd generation of the iPad Pro, and going all the way to the 5th generation of the iPad. It also comes with the 3rd generation iPad Mini and the iPad Air.
However, it’s important to note that in certain regions and countries, the company still shipped the 10W USB power adaptor based on permissions and regional preferences.
The 18W USB-C Power Adaptor
The 18W USB-C power adaptor is the latest offering from Apple, and it is packaged on all of their recent iPads. It even comes with the iPhone 11 Pro and the Pro Max, since it offers blazing fast charging speeds. You will find it on the iPad Pro 11 inch as well as the 12.9 inch variant.
The company received considerable criticism from the tech population because of their slow transition to fast charging. While the world had already become accustomed to fast charging from manufacturers such as Samsung and Huawei.
The company introduced these fast chargers with their latest devices to improve charging speeds and make sure that they remain competitive with the latest technologies.
Now, coming to the point, charging an iPad with an iPhone charger is possible but you should know that the charging speeds are going to vary. More importantly, if you have an iPad that supports USB-C, you will only be able to use the latest charger.
There are counterfeit chargers available in the market as well. Using those is absolutely not advised, and there is a risk that you will end up damaging your device as well. It is always recommended that you use the charger that came in the box with your device, or buy one from an official Apple Store.
Apart from the iPad Pro, all of the models introduced by Apple make use of the lightning cable. There is also the small matter of the USB cable to consider. Less expensive USB cables are not advised because they lose a lot of power when charging, and as a result of that, your device will charge much slower.
In some cases, it might not charge at all. Therefore, it is recommended that you use the official cable or buy a replacement one. Nowadays, companies such as Anker and others have introduced high-quality cables that you can use as a replacement.
Ideally, you won’t face much of an issue when using such cables, but it’s generally recommended that you check the certifications before plugging it in.
These are just a few of the many things that you should know about using an iPhone charger for an iPad. As long as you are using the latest gen chargers with your devices, you won’t feel much of a difference in charging speeds, since they are all compatible. For older ones, the charging speeds are going to be low.
