Apple 12W USB Power Adapter

What customers say about Apple 12W USB Power Adapter?

1. 532 of 558 people found the following review helpful

   
   12 watts is the new Apple standard …. works with all older equipment, December 7, 2012

   By 

   MWebb (Berkeley, CA) –
   
     

   Verified Purchase(What’s this?)

   This review is from: Apple 12W USB Power Adapter (Personal Computers)

   Note a couple of errors from Amazon: First, the product description is for a completely different product, the MagSafe laptop charger, not this USB iPad charger; second, Amazon implies this only works on Lightning connector iPads etc. With respect to the Lightning connector, since this doesn’t come with ANY connector, technically it won’t even work with the iPad 4 etc. … unless you used the connector that came with your device, D’oh. Similarly it will work with the old style connector on old style devices – assuming you have both (device and connector). Likewise it will work with other devices, even non-Apple products, if they power off a USB port and you have the connecting cable for that 3rd party device.

   There’s no need to buy the older 10 watt model of this Apple iPad charger. This is the one that was introduced with the iPad 4 to allow faster charging (20% faster in theory) and it is backwards compatible with all iOS devices from the original iPhone through the Touches and up to the tablets. It may (or may not) charge SOME of the Apple devices faster than the original chargers that came with them (hopefully, for example, the iPad 3) – Apple has a way of reading the power capacity of its devices and providing more power if it is safe. If it is NOT safe to deliver more power on an Apple device, the charger will revert to a lower power mode for safe charging.

   With non-Apple products, the odds are this charger will revert to 5 watt or even lower USB power standards to protect third part devices. Even if the third party device is a tablet that would be happy with more power and can in fact draw more power from its own stock charger.

   What this means in terms of actual use is this:

   1. You can replace all the tiny cube and former larger rectangular Apple chargers with this when you travel, and each Apple device you attach will draw the right amount of power.

   2. You can safely use this on non-Apple products, but is they want a lot of power the Apple probably won’t deliver it since the Apple charger won’t know that’s “safe.”

   So the Apple charger is close to, but not quite, a “one stop” replacement for all the other USB port chargers you have. It WILL work with 3rd party devices, but maybe charge some of them more slowly than their own native charger will.

   Blame the USB standards group for not adopting a universal protocol for communicating “safe power” levels through the USB ports, not Apple. At least we don’t have to carry both classic Apple cube, and the larger iPad chargers, around all the time (unless you have to charge them both at the same time, in which case don’t throw out or give away or old Apple cube charger).

   FWIW we have used the new charger on a Google Nexus 7 tablet (charges as fast as the stock charger), on iPhone 3gs and iPhone 4, on iPad mini, 3 and 4 and haven’t had a hiccup. Even on an old dumb phone with a micro USB port.

   – Note for 1st gen iPad owners – a commenter has reported this will NOT work on the first gen iPads. I will look into this, but in the meantime either buy the 10 watt edition, or check with the Genius Bar at the Apple store before purchasing! Update: the wording from Apple’s own site is not clear, but several users report it works fine on the first gen iPad.

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2. 103 of 110 people found the following review helpful

   
   Great price on REAL Apple products, December 24, 2012

   By 

   B. J. Drake (Suffolk, VA) –

   Verified Purchase(What’s this?)

   This review is from: Apple 12W USB Power Adapter (Personal Computers)

   This item came within two days. It was packaged well and is a real Apple product, not a knock off. Priced cheaper than the Apple Store.

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3. 73 of 77 people found the following review helpful

   
   Seems to be (IT IS) genuine! Great quality and well built, August 7, 2014

   By 

   Alvaro Salazar –

   Verified Purchase(What’s this?)

   This review is from: Apple 12W USB Power Adapter (Personal Computers)

   

   Customer Video Review Length:: 8:25 Mins

   Everything about this adapter looks genuine to me. The small package in which it comes looks well made, and it even had a safety seal; The user’s manual and the Apple warranty information; And the adapter itself looks really nice quality, properly assembled and looks resistant.

   About the adapter:
   – Model: A1401
   – Compact design, approximately 45 mm wide, 45 mm long and 28 mm in height (good or bad depending on the user)
   – Glossy white surface
   – Input: 100-240V, 0.5A, 50-60 Hz
   – Output: 5.2V – 2.4A
   – Designed by Apple in California, Assembled in China

   The adapter is smaller than I imagined, which is a good thing in my opinion. The only Apple device I currently own is a 4th Gen iPod Touch, and it works perfectly with this adapter.

   Plugs can be exposed or hidden with a 90º turn.

   Using it with a 4th Gen Apple iPod Touch, and no problems so far.

   Giving it 4 stars so far because I started using it today. I’ll this review in some time (weeks, maybe), and I’ll upload a video for all those who might find it useful.

   UPDATED – OCTOBER 19th, 2014
   Gave 5 stars. This adapter is still working flawlessly and going strong! It charges mi iPod Touch 4G amazingly fast. I recommend it to everyone.

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