How to charge the iPad Mini when staying in Australia

How to connect an Australian power outlet to the iPad Mini

Australian power outlet

If you are packing for a vacation it can be useful to know if you'll be able to use all your common devices such as mobile phones or laptop computers when you arrive. By not knowing which power supply is being used you are likely to bring the wrong power adaptor, therefore having to buy a potentially overpriced power adaptor on arrival. Varying complicated combinations of region codes and plugs can often cause confusion when planning on staying in another country, especially if you've never been there before. These instructions were specifically written to stop travellers worrying if they can power the iPad Mini abroad.This page is a guide showing exactly how to power the iPad Mini when staying in Australia by using the standard 230 volt 50Hz I Type power outlet. When you are visiting Australia from a different region please make sure the iPad Mini can be charged using a 240 volt supply. If the iPad Mini came from a country which uses a lower voltage such as 110v double check your device is dual-voltage (indicated by 100-240 volts) else you may need to use an additional power transformer to avoid the device from being damaged during charging. If you are planning to stay somewhere like Sydney we suggest referring to the Australia country page on wikipedia.org [1] for more indepth details prior to travelling to the area. These instructions assume you are running Apple iOS 7 or greater on the iPad Mini.

Charging the iPad Mini in Australia

Can the iPad Mini be used in Australia?

You can connect the iPad Mini to an Australian power outlet by using a power convertor.

What is the best power charger for the iPad Mini in Australia?

When you are travelling to multiple countries the best travel charger for Australia to buy is a multiple USB port adapter which includes compatible plugs such as a 4 port USB travel charger.

As these chargers are supplied with interchangeable pins and handle 100 - 240 volts will mean you can travel to over 100 countries in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa just by changing the supplied heads. If your iPad Mini is compatible with Fast Charge (not all USB devices will) then you'll benefit from much faster recharging times by using one of these types of USB power chargers plus support for certain power demanding devices like tablets.

Having a 4 port charger means you can power multiple devices simultaneously without needing to buy multiple travel adapters. Because you are only packing a single international USB travel charger will also keep the overall size and weight down, making it ideal to store in hand baggage as well as being on hand for charging your iPad Mini at the airport or on the plane. Because of their space saving versatility these types of travel adapters can be used when back at home so when you’re not on holiday they can be used under your bedside table charging multiple tablets and smartphones with only a single plug socket.

For those travelling on a regular basis we recommend searching for a multipurpose power charger similar to this at an electronics retailer - the multipurpose travel adapter illustrated below is the 4 Port USB Wall Charger which has been tested successfully with multiple USB devices in numerous countries.

Alternative travel adapter for Australia

The 4 port USB travel charger is the most compact option for travellers from around the world who only have USB devices such as the iPad Mini, however for those also wishing to use their domestic plugs the following power converters provide larger but more versatile solutions. All three power strips offer surge protection which is crucial for travellers to regions with unreliable power grids to prevent damage to any connected appliances from voltage spikes. These power adapters come supplied with interchangeable type C, I and G plugs covering both Australia and over 150 countries around the world:

  • BESTEK Portable International Travel Voltage Converter - The BESTEK travel adaptor has 4 USB charging ports with 3 AC power outlets and is the best selling compact option for travellers originating from North America going to Australia.
  • ORICO Traveling Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip - Also having 4 USB ports but only 2 AC power outlets the travel adapter from Orico is also aimed at travellers from the US using type B plugs. This offers almost the same set of features as the BESTEK with only one less AC outlet for almost half price.
  • BESTEK International USB Travel Power Strip - This power strip has just 2 AC outlets but offers 5 USB charging ports. This versatile power strip is compatible with both American plugs and popular plug types A, D,E/F, G, H, I, L and N making it ideal for a wide range of travellers from around the world visiting Australia. [6] [AD]
What is the best power charger for the iPad Mini in Australia?

How to use a Type I power charger for charging your iPad Mini from an Australian power outlet

Using a USB Lightning cable with a Type I power charger to power your iPad Mini from an Australian power outlet.

  1. If you want to charge the iPad Mini from the Australian power outlet you'll need to buy a Type I USB power plug adapter [4] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5] (Apple will usually supply this cable with your iPad Mini).
  2. Start the process by taking the Type I USB power plug adapter and plugging it into the Australian power outlet. You can recognise the power supply by 3 slots in an upside-down triangular shape with a single vertical pin at the bottom and the top pair of slots sloping upwards for the live, neutral and ground. Please note that the neutral and live blades are reversed compared to Argentinian plug outlets so please check that your Type I power adaptor is compatible with an Australian power supply.
  3. Then connect one end of the USB to Apple Lightning cable into the bottom of the USB mains charger and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPad Mini. The iPad Mini lightning connector can be found at the base of the iPad Mini.
  4. Switch on the Australian power outlet.
  5. The battery icon that appears in the top right hand corner of your tablet screen will display a charge icon to indicate that the tablet is powering up which takes roughly 60-240 minutes to recharge. [AD]
How to use a Type I power charger for charging your iPad Mini from an Australian power outlet

See also

  1. Wikipedia - Australia country page on wikipedia.org
  2. Apple - official iPad user guide
  3. iec.ch - Type I power outlet
  4. Type I USB power plug adapter - Type I USB chargers use three short flat blades in a V format with the top blade acting as a grounding pin.
  5. USB to Apple Lightning cable - The Apple Lightning cable is a charging and syncing cable for more recent Apple devices and connects compatible iPhones and iPads to a USB port.
  6. 4 Port USB Wall Charger - A 4-port USB wall charger is an electrical device that provides simultaneous charging for up to four USB-compatible devices. It often includes interchangeable international plug adapters for global use..