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Best ways to charge your iPad in 2021
There are also some tips and tricks to ensure your battery life lasts longer, along with some hints on reducing that charging time.
So, let’s kick off in the arena of the world’s most popular tablet, with the best ways to charge your iPad in 2021.
Pick the right iPad charging cable and charger
Right about now there are a couple of options when it comes to iPad charging, with the former staple that was the lightning iPad charging cable superseded by USB-C on models like the iPad Pro 11-inch, the later iPad Pro 12.9-inch, and the iPad Air.
But other iPads still rely on the lightning cable to deliver power.
Lightning charger
Believe it or not, some iPad chargers deliver a faster charge than others. The difference here comes down to the watts. Basically, the higher the wattage of the charger that you plug into the wall, the faster the charge, so look for an option with a bit of extra power.
How much power? Well as MacWorld notes, a standard iPhone charger offers about 5W, while an iPad charger delivers 12W. Apple also now has a wall charger that offers 30W.
There’s a caveat here, however.
“…at some point your iPhone or iPad will hit its maximum ceiling for how much power it can take onboard at once. This is controlled by an adapter in the iPhone or iPad itself, not the charger,” MacWorld explains.
Meanwhile, if you’re charging off a laptop, that’s likely to slow things down. Standard USB ports on laptops or computers generally deliver around 2.5W.
So, if faster charging is the priority it’s best to go with an iPad charging cable connected into mains power and use a higher watt charger.
USB-C charger
When it comes to iPads using USB-C, the options become even greater again. Basically USB-C is touted as delivering much faster charge, but how fast also depends on the wattage of the actual charger that goes into the wall outlet.
When it comes to charging off a laptop, USB-C output is likely to deliver a faster charge to your iPad, then standard USB. That’s because USB-C is capable of USB 3.1 speeds, whereas a typical USB charger will be limited to USB 2.0.
A nifty trick
If you’re looking to speed up the charging process a little further, some suggest putting your device into aeroplane mode.
This effectively shuts down a range of background processes (such as GPS, Bluetooth and wireless connection) that consume battery power, allowing your iPad to charge even faster.
A few handy battery hints
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When we talk about batteries there are a few handy terms to know, firstly battery life is the length of time your device runs for before it requires charging, while battery lifespan is the length of time your battery lasts before it needs to be replaced.
As Apple explains, if you maximize both you’ll get the best out of your devices.
So how do you do that?
Well first up they note you should be running the latest software which tends to have energy saving technology built in.
Then you should also ensure:
- Your iPad isn’t subject to extreme temperatures.
- Optimize your settings by either using auto-brightness or dimming the screen.
- Enable lower power mode.
- Turn of location services if you don’t need them.
- View your battery usage information to see what apps may be drawing power, even if they’re running in the background.
- Turn off unnecessary notifications that wake your device.
- If your device is to sit idle for a lengthy period, charge it to only 50 per cent.
Looking for an iPad charging cable to ensure your device remains charged and ready to go? You can view our range of cables here along with lengthier options and right-angled charging cables that are designed to effortlessly cater to iPad holders and stands.
