Charging the iPhone 5S when staying in America

Instructions showing you how to power your iPhone 5S with an American power outlet with the USB Lightning Apple connector with a Type A USB charger and how to charge the iPhone 5S using a Type B power adapter.

American power outlet

If planning a holiday it can be helpful to know if you can power all your vital electronics when you're there. By not knowing which power socket is used you may end up either bringing unnecessary adaptors or pack the wrong adaptor, leaving you having to buy or borrow a potentially overpriced charger on arrival that might not be compatible. Varying complicated standards and voltages can all be confusing when planning to travel to another country if you've never been there before. This page was written to prevent you needing to worry if you'll be able to charge the iPhone 5S abroad.When you are going to travel to America this page contains instructions showing you how to charge your iPhone 5S by using their types B or A American 120 volt 60Hz power outlets, please be aware that Type B power outlets are typically used by most Americans. Power sources differ regionally so please read our WikiConnections world power connections guide for a complete list of charging devices in different destinations. If the iPhone 5S doesn't power up or recharges slowly when travelling to America from a different region check that it is compatible with a 120 volt power supply. Typically devices which originated from another country which use a higher voltage (for example 220 volts) may take longer to charge or won't turn on, check that the device is dual voltage (normally indicated by 100-240 volts) else you may need to use an additional power converter to ensure proper use. These instructions assume that you are running Apple iOS 7 or greater on the iPhone 5S.

Charging the iPhone 5S in America

Can you use the iPhone 5S in America?

You can connect the iPhone 5S to an American power outlet by using the correct power adaptor.

What is the best travel charger for recharging the iPhone 5S in America?

When travelling to multiple countries or bringing more than your iPhone 5S the best international travel charger for America is a multiple USB port charger which includes swappable plugs such as a 4 port USB travel charger. There are two different types of wall outlets in America (types B and A) and bringing this ensures that you are covered for type A. As these types of chargers are supplied with interchangeable pins and can handle 100 to 240 volts it makes them ideal for over 100 countries around the world simply by changing the included plugs over. If your iPhone 5S is compatible with Fast Charge (not all USB devices will) then you'll benefit from quicker recharging times by using one of these USB travel chargers along with additional support for more power hungry devices. This will allow you to recharge multiple devices simultaneously without needing to bring individual power adapters on your American trip or using up additional wall outlets. Because you are only packing a single USB travel charger will keep the weight and size down, making it ideal to store in hand luggage and suitable for charging your iPhone 5S at an airport or on the flight. Because of their flexibility these types of power chargers can be used when back at home as well as abroad so when you’re not on holiday they can sit overnight charging multiple smartphones, tablets and speakers and using only a single power outlet.

For those travelling on a regular basis we suggest buying this type of versatile power charger at an electronics retailer, the travel adapter illustrated is the 4 Port USB Wall Charger which has been successfully tested with multiple USB devices in numerous different countries around the world.

Alternative travel adapter for America

The 4 port USB travel charger is the most compact option for travellers from any country who only have USB devices such as the iPhone 5S, but for visitors also wishing to use their domestic plugs the following power strips provide larger but more versatile solutions. All 3 power adapters offer surge protection which is useful when visiting counties with unstable power supplies. These power converters are supplied with interchangeable type C, I and G plugs which cover Europe, America, Australia, United Kingdom, Japan, China and over 150 countries around the world:

  • BESTEK Portable International Travel Voltage Converter - The BESTEK travel converter has 4 USB charging ports with 3 AC power outlets and is the most popular portable option for travellers originating from America visiting America.
  • ORICO Traveling Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip - Similarly having 4 USB ports but only 2 AC power outlets the travel adapter from Orico is also aimed at travellers originating from the US using type B plugs. This is a much cheaper alternative to the BESTEK with only 1 less AC outlet for almost half price.
  • BESTEK International USB Travel Power Strip - This power strip has 2 AC outlets but offers a more flexible 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 suitable for most travellers from around the world visiting America. [8] [AD]
What is the best travel charger for recharging the iPhone 5S in America?

Charging the iPhone 5S from an American power outlet by using a two pinned Type A USB adapter

Instructions showing you how to power your iPhone 5S with an American power outlet with the USB Lightning Apple connector with a Type A USB charger.

  1. In order to power the iPhone 5S from the American power outlet you will need to buy a Type A USB power plug adapter [4] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5] - typically already included with your iPhone 5S by Apple.
  2. Begin the process by inserting the Type A USB power plug adapter into the power outlet. You can recognise the wall outlet by the 2 thin adjacent slots for live and neutral.
  3. Plug in one end of the USB to Apple Lightning cable into the USB adapter and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPhone 5S. The iPhone 5S Lightning connector is situated at bottom of the iPhone 5S under the home button.
  4. Turn on the American power outlet.
  5. The battery icon that you'll find in the top right corner of the iPhone screen will display a charge icon to indicate that the iPhone 5S is charging, typically taking between 60 to 240 minutes to completely recharge. [AD]
Charging the iPhone 5S from an American power outlet by using a two pinned Type A USB adapter

Powering the iPhone 5S with an American power outlet by using a 3 pinned Type B USB adapter

Instructions showing you how to recharge your iPhone 5S with an American power outlet with a USB Lightning connector and a Type B USB adapter.

  1. In order to supply power to your iPhone 5S from an American power outlet you will need to use a Type B USB power plug adapter [7] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5] - typically already included with your iPhone 5S by Apple.
  2. Begin the process by taking the Type B USB power plug adapter and inserting it into the power outlet. The power supply (sometimes known as a Type B power outlet [6]) is recognised by 2 thin slots parallel to each other where the blades go with a single hole below for the earthed pin.
  3. Plug in the USB end of the USB to Apple Lightning cable into the bottom of the power adapter and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPhone 5S. The iPhone 5S Lightning connector can be found at bottom of the iPhone 5S under the home button.
  4. Turn on the American power outlet.
  5. The battery icon that appears in the top right corner of your iPhone 5S screen will display a charge icon to indicate that the iPhone 5S is recharging, typically taking roughly 60 to 240 minutes to recharge to 100% capacity. [AD]
Powering the iPhone 5S with an American power outlet by using a 3 pinned Type B USB adapter

See also

  1. Visittheusa - Visit The USA
  2. Apple - official iPhone user guide
  3. iec.ch - Type A power outlet
  4. Type A USB power plug adapter - With its two-blade, ungrounded design, the Type A USB power plug adapter offers a straightforward way to convert electrical outlets in countries like the United States and Canada into USB ports for easy device charging..
  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. iec.ch - Type B power outlet
  7. Type B USB power plug adapter - A Type B USB power plug adapter conforms to the NEMA 5-15 specifications, featuring 2 parallel flat blades and an extended grounding pin. Rated at 15A and 125 volts, suitable for use in the United States and Canada for converting domestic outlets to USB..
  8. 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..