How likely is it that the connector port on the bottom of my iPad 2 will remain the standard for iPads in the future? I forgot my charging cord and plug at my aunt’s house during Thanksgiving, and can’t get it back until later in the week, so I’m thinking of buying another so I can keep it on me and avoid this issue in the future, but I don’t want to waste the money if it’s going to become useless whenever I do decide to get a new one (I see myself sticking to the iPad, as opposed to a smartphone or another tablet brand).
Unlike the giant 30-pin connector that was used on first-gen iPads, the Lightning connector is not much bigger than the cord itself, and it’s reversible. IOW, it’s very convenient, and so IMHO it’s likely to be around for a while, especially since a whole ecology has developed around it.
Any USB wall-wart charger will do; if you’re like me, you’ve got half a dozen of these things in a desk drawer from various other devices, so you shouldn’t need to buy another one. Just get a lightning-to-USB cord from the nearest drugstore. You can get a lightning cable with charger for $20 at Rite-Aid; if you hunt around, you can probably find the cable by itself for less (assuming you already have a USB charger).
The iPad 2 charger is 10 watts. Most usb chargers are only 5. The iPad will charge with 5 watts, but verrrrrrrry slowly. As in even overnight isn’t enough time.
and it won’t charge hardly at all if the screen is on.
A full-size iPad needs a ten-watt charger, but the iPad Mini can recharge with a five-watt charger.
We’re talking about an iPad 2, not an iPad Mini. Also, the iPad 2 uses the 30 pin connector, which is no longer the standard connector.
How can I tell how many watts my charger is?
If the charger is labeled in amps, you multiply amps by volts (5 volts in the case of USB). If it’s labeled in milliamps you’ll need to divide by 1000 and multiply by 5. (1000 milliamps = 1 amp = 5 watts at 5 volts.)
If it’s labeled in watts you’ll already know, obviously.
I’ve never noticed any label on any charger. I’ll start looking.
:smack: Good point. My remarks upthread are irrelevant then, as the OP’s 30-pin connector has already been displaced as the standard for Apple products.
What do you mean by “waste the money”? You’re already using an obsolete connector, and chargers are couple bucks on Amazon, and you can get even better ones that potentially charge faster than the default. You don’t need to pay Apple a huge markup for their branded accessories (looks like $19 for just the cable alone, plus another $19-50 for the wall charger!)
Assuming that it is an iPad 2 (not an iPad Air 2), and does use the 30-pin connector, I’ve got a few of these cords lying around. Send me a PM with your address, and I’ll mail you one. I’ve got a brand new one still in the wrapper.
As for the wall plug, really any USB compatible plug will do in a pinch, even if the wattage isn’t right. I’ve been charging my iPads with my iPhone wall chargers for years. You likely have one or more of these already, so many electronics now come with separate USB cords and plugs.
This is exactly the info I needed, thanks! I wasn’t sure how much connector progress had been done.
I’ll buy a USB wall plug at Fry’s; it’s not as likely to go obsolete, and I’ll probably need another in the future. As for the cord, I have the original, taped up because of fraying, but I’ll shop for convenience.