iPhone Charger VS iPad Charger - What Are the Differences [Infographic]

Here is the occasion: iPad offers a great experience in watching videos, surfing the Internet, etc. on the go. After I use it for about 1.5 hours, the battery runs out. I just get a charger to charge my iPad. However, I find I use the wrong charger - my iPhone charger, since they look almost the same. So is it OK to replace the charger? What are the differences between an iPhone charger and an iPad charger?

Apple products have their own accessories including chargers which vary in design depending on the device. Both iPhone, (all models) as well as iPad (all models) need chargers to recharge the interior power system (batteries or power pack).Though both iPhone and iPad are Apple products yet they use different types chargers, which may look same but use different amps, charger current, output voltage, plug design and prices.

iPhone Charger

iPad Charger

Output voltage 5W 10W
Charger current 1A 1.2 A
Plug design Permanently put Can be removed and folded over.
Type of port Lightining/30 pin socket depending on the model Lightning
Amps 1 amp 2 amps
Additional feature Can be charged  through USB port of computer system and for this a separate port compatible with USB port is provided Can be charged  through USB port of computer system and for this a separate port compatible with USB port is provided

The amps for iPhone is only 1 amp while that for iPad is much higher 2 amps. The current used by chargers also differ substantially, iPhone charger current is 1A white, while that of iPad it is 1.2A. There are differences in prices and plug design as well. Apple iPad use lightning connectors or charges. But, apple iPhone 4 use 30 pin connectors whereas iPhone 5 use a lightning connector. At the same time the design of the connector also differs; for example iPad connector has 30 pin and naturally, the design of this connector differs from the lightning connectors used in other iPhone or iPad. The price of the connector naturally depends on the design of the connector.

Can you use an iPhone charger to charge your iPad?

In so far as using iPhone charger for iPad or vice versa is concerned, the basic question which arises is the design of the charger. As already stated, the Apple 4 iPad uses charger with 30 pin and this cannot be used on iPhone or with other iPad(iPad Pro) because of the mismatching of the pins and the slot provided for inserting the charger. Barring this, technically it is possible to charge an iPad with a charger meant for iPhone but it may take a long time and also it may damage the circuit because of the use of wrong type of charger. At the same time, the batter may not perform at its optimum level because of the use of wrong chargers. It may take hours of charging because of low current in the case of iPhone. On the other hand if you use a charger with higher amps then the iPad or iPhone may charge much faster, but it may result in the damage to the circuitry system and performance of the touch screen, sometimes the touch screen response carry static charges. Extra heating may cause damage to the battery because when you are using a much higher charger, 2 Amp on a phone which can take only 1 Amp you will overheat the batteries and damage the circuitry system. On the other hand when you are using 1 Amp charger to charge a tablet battery which usually works on 2 Amp charger you may be causing less damage but you are making the charging slow and most probably this may affect the performance of the battery in the future.

If we get into technical details we can see why the iPhone charger does not work to charge iPad batteries because all Apple chargers are 5 volts and amps is the amount of current flowing in either iPhone or iPad to charge their batteries. The formula for calculating Watts is Volts x Amps = Watts. For example the charger with 5 volts with 1 Amp requires 5 watts; this is needed to charge iPhone battery. The charger with 5 volts and 2.1 Amps has 10 watts; this is needed to recharge iPad batteries. If we look at this formula we can understand how using an iPad charger to recharge batteries of iPhone is technically not very satisfactory. From the technical aspect, iPad charger is better than iPhone charger considering its higher capacity of power absorption. However, it is advisable to use the specific type of charger for respective device for optimum results.

Conclusion:

Each charger is to fit each device although they are all from Apple. Don't charge your iPad with an iPhone(iPhone 6S) charger. It will hurt your iPad and vice versa. Although the two brothers looked like, but be carefully when you use them. In order to distinguish the two chargers, you‘d better make the clear signs. It is best to buy any of these products from Apple store itself. The products may also be bought from online stores such as Amazon, Flipkart, Rediff, Ebay, Snapdeal or Homeshoptv18 among others.

     
disqus_4pQKtCeKQf
iPhone 6 and above applicable with 5v 2.1a which is 12w (since 2a delivered 10w) :) .. And what is below iPhone 6 for eg. iPhone 5s cannot take the 2.1a, it's only take 1a as maximum which is 5w :) .. I hope this helps a lot of ppl. It's from a trusted resources and I have tested by my self too!!
disqus_4pQKtCeKQf
iPhone 6 and above applicable with 5v 2.1a which is 12w (since 2a delivered 10w) :) .. And what is below iPhone 6 for eg. iPhone 5s cannot take the 2.1a, it's only take 1a as maximum which is 5w :) .. I hope this helps a lot of ppl. It's from a trusted resources and I have tested by my self too!!
ziplock9000
Who the fuck wrote this article? "Output voltage 5watts" ?
disqus_goobO05cDK
Can anyone tell me what the difference is between "Charger current" in unit of A and "Amps" in the first table? Thanks!
Emre
Actually a 20W charger will not charge device faster. Because iphone''s ipad''s limit the charging current. They''ll be charged at same speed, for ex 1A for iphone.
Emre
You''re simply wrong. Iphone limits the current to 1A, so if you use an ipadcharger, it will not charge your device faster.
ToastyFlake
I don''t see why they don''t just make the iPad charger the standard. I prefer to use it for iPhone because it''s faster.
disqus_XqQgQ7jMYS
No, iPhone battery supplies at 3.7v, not 5v. As you said, "Be careful when doing this simple math !" Helps to have the right figures.
einstein
Wrong. You compare garbages and carrots! Namely A and Ah I the iPhone Battery is 1420mA.h = 1,42 A.h, it means it can deliver a current of 1.42A during one hour. At the end, the power consumed will be 5Vx1.42 = 7.1W.h, not W !!! Be careful when doing this simple math !
CBMH
Why can't Apple inscribe on each charger "iPad, " "iPhone?"
Home > Resources > Other Topics > iPhone, iPad, iPod > iPhone Charger VS iPad Charger - What Are the Differences [Infographic]
Back to top