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Foreign Electricity
#14841 03/25/11 07:07 PM
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Ira L Offline OP
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For the current iPhones and iPods, is anything more than a plug adapter required in foreign countries?

That is, do these Apple products require any sort of voltage adapters beyond something to change a US plug (2 flat verticals) into the plug of a foreign country?

Some Apple products can internally handle 120V-240V, but I could not find any indication if the phones and iPods have the capability.


On a Mac since 1984.
Currently: 24" M1 iMac, M2 Pro Mac mini with 27" BenQ monitor, M2 Macbook Air, MacOS 14.x; iPhones, iPods (yes, still) and iPads.
Re: Foreign Electricity
Ira L #14846 03/26/11 12:50 AM
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That indication of input -vs- output voltage is normally found on the charging unit itself......so for either the iPhone or iPad, it wouldn't be on the device, but rather on the charger that actually plugs into the outlet.

In very faint low-contrast lettering on the Apple 10W USB power adapter (model A1357) it says that the input voltage range is 100-240 VAC at 50-60 Hz drawing 0.45 Amps and output voltage is 5.1 VDC yielding 2.1 Amps (10 Watts)....so I think that your challenge is limited to finding the correct physical connector.


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Re: Foreign Electricity
Ira L #14847 03/26/11 01:43 AM
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Lee's right on: the iPhone/iPad/iPod power is regulated via the respective power adapters, and (like Macs) these are rated for 100-240V, 50-60Hz. I used my iPod Touch in Europe with both the Apple and a Griffin power adapter and the proper local power plug adapter. No problems.


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Re: Foreign Electricity
alternaut #14853 03/26/11 03:10 PM
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Great! Thank you.


On a Mac since 1984.
Currently: 24" M1 iMac, M2 Pro Mac mini with 27" BenQ monitor, M2 Macbook Air, MacOS 14.x; iPhones, iPods (yes, still) and iPads.
Re: Foreign Electricity
Ira L #14854 03/26/11 03:18 PM
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FWIW, if your travels abroad include widely disparate parts of the globe, there's the (presumably overpriced?) Apple World Travel Adapter Kit.



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Re: Foreign Electricity
Ira L #14855 03/26/11 03:54 PM
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DK is probably right about that Apple kit being overpriced, but that's in part because it contains items you may not need. If all you need is power plug adapters, those are usually about $1-4 apiece (see here for examples).

A standard 'world' assortment of such adapters together with a power converter for 'domestic appliances' is available for about $20-40 in places like Radio Shack etc. A potential issue with the 'world' kits is that there's only one of each adapter type, and you may need more than one at the same time. Something to figure out before you leave, I guess.


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Re: Foreign Electricity
Ira L #14860 03/27/11 04:12 PM
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I recommend using the adapter kits that merely provide you with a different shape plug. You can continue to use your white brick, it just needs to be physically compatible with the outlet.

Those converters are becoming less and less useful, and have a nasty habit of burning out electronics due to their really nasty power regulation. They're usually also very low power.

Just read the fine print the UL requires to be on the adapter. It should say "110-220 (or 230)v, 50-60hz" on it. If it does, it works on any power in the world, so long as you can find a way to plug it into the outlet.


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Re: Foreign Electricity
Virtual1 #14885 03/28/11 08:29 PM
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I did read the--wow, really fine, light--print on the Apple plug and it seems to meet the requirements stated above.

So I'm going with just the physical plugs that provide the right shape, since I already have them.

Thanks again, one and all.


On a Mac since 1984.
Currently: 24" M1 iMac, M2 Pro Mac mini with 27" BenQ monitor, M2 Macbook Air, MacOS 14.x; iPhones, iPods (yes, still) and iPads.

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