10.5 iPad Pro Fast Charging

[BeatCrazy]

As noted in my posts earlier, I was having issues getting fast charging to work.

Turns out the USB-C cable was a fake.

The packaging is identical, it’s only when comparing against the thickness of the official cable and the adapters on it that show the difference.


The fake even has the right text printed on the cable itself.

That's pretty wild.

Are we 100% sure that Apple didn't do some sort of hardware update to the USB-C to Lighting cable?
The OEM Apple 2m USB-C to USB-C cables have different variations. Specifically, the ones that come with the 12" MacBooks are thinner than the ones that come with the MacBook Pros. Hard to tell them apart unless they're side by side. I assume the thicker MacBook Pro USB-C cables are designed to handle the increased power requirements.

 

[Aluminum213]

All the extra money for just an hour faster charge? Not worth it

 

[KrisLord]

All the extra money for just an hour faster charge? Not worth it

An hour faster charge, every time you use it, over the useful life of the product.

For me it’s costing £22 as I’ve already got the charger so it was worth paying that little extra for.

 

[KrisLord]

That's pretty wild.

Are we 100% sure that Apple didn't do some sort of hardware update to the USB-C to Lighting cable?
The OEM Apple 2m USB-C to USB-C cables have different variations. Specifically, the ones that come with the 12" MacBooks are thinner than the ones that come with the MacBook Pros. Hard to tell them apart unless they're side by side. I assume the thicker MacBook Pro USB-C cables are designed to handle the increased power requirements.

I’m not aware of any changes to the cable design, and both boxes list the same model number.

 

[rdy0329]

I have a Google Pixel USB-C Charger with 18W max power output at 9V 2A, will it work with iPad Pro 10.5? I'd rather use it with a USB-C to lightning cable rather than investing for a 29W one.

 

[cwosigns]

So I have a 10.5" iPad Pro and am using a 29W Apple USB-C charging brick and an Apple USB-C to Lightning cable and plugged it in at 8:30 this morning. With regular usage (web browsing, GChat only), my battery level has actually DROPPED by 3% to 97%.

This doesn't happen when I use the 12W USB to Lighting brick and cable. It stays at 100% while plugged in.

This doesn't seem normal now, does it?

 

[KrisLord]

So I have a 10.5" iPad Pro and am using a 29W Apple USB-C charging brick and an Apple USB-C to Lightning cable and plugged it in at 8:30 this morning. With regular usage (web browsing, GChat only), my battery level has actually DROPPED by 3% to 97%.

This doesn't happen when I use the 12W USB to Lighting brick and cable. It stays at 100% while plugged in.

This doesn't seem normal now, does it?

I don’t that’s an issue tbh. Your usage was greater than the trickle charge amount so battery went down, but not enough for charging rate to increase.

 

[masotime]

So I have a 10.5" iPad Pro and am using a 29W Apple USB-C charging brick and an Apple USB-C to Lightning cable and plugged it in at 8:30 this morning. With regular usage (web browsing, GChat only), my battery level has actually DROPPED by 3% to 97%.

This doesn't happen when I use the 12W USB to Lighting brick and cable. It stays at 100% while plugged in.

This doesn't seem normal now, does it?

Detailed stats available thanks to @iF34R - https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...d-party-adapters.2052414/page-5#post-24740316

The 29W charger behaves exactly like a 12W charger above 90% - if you use the iPad intensively, it may, unfortunately, have a chance of dropping charge. I should run a test to see if I can reproduce that. Interesting.

 

[slvrscoobie]

im more interested when i get back to the hotel at night and need to have webpage open, email open, streaming music, and brightness up, and the battery is at 10% from use all day. Thats when i need my charger to outpace my usage.
Ill wait till this ebay one shows up and see if my charging matches, if not, ill complain to ebay.

 

[joshuad11]

You're going to have to wait for some time. Anker couldn't figure it out either - I wrote a review on one of their products that was supposed to be able to: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-...ef=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B01D8C6ULO

As far as I can tell, there are only 2 chargers that can charge the iPad Pro @ 29W - Apple's 29W USB-C charger (not even their 61W and 87W chargers) and the Ventev 45W Charger.

See https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/87w-usb-c-charger-doesnt-charge-12-9-ipad-pro-29w.2015416/ for a more informed discussion.

Unfortunately I don't have either of the new iPads yet to test out if the newer ones have better compatibility, but as I understand it, it's more an issue with the USB-C to Lightning cable itself being limited.
[doublepost=1497628807][/doublepost]

It probably won't work.

Anker has a new charger that appears to be capable of providing a fast charge for iPad Pros. Reviewers confirm.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y427WT7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_KVgvzbNB30E5S

 

[masotime]

Anker has a new charger that appears to be capable of providing a fast charge for iPad Pros. Reviewers confirm.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y427WT7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_KVgvzbNB30E5S

I have already done an extensive analysis. Please see https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/29w-fast-charging-tests-and-3rd-party-adapters.2052414/

 

[slvrscoobie]

Got my ebay cable. Box and packaging are spot on, even has the 2 manuals, and the cable wound up. Compared to my USB Cable that came in the ipad box, the USB-C to Lightning cable is a little thicker (wattage increase?) and the connector is a touch larger. Only thing that says 'Fake' to me was there was a white dust / powder on the cable when I straightened it.
Thoughts? Should the lightning end be the same size as the USB lightning that came with the ipad?

 

[joshuad11]

Got my ebay cable. Box and packaging are spot on, even has the 2 manuals, and the cable wound up. Compared to my USB Cable that came in the ipad box, the USB-C to Lightning cable is a little thicker (wattage increase?) and the connector is a touch larger. Only thing that says 'Fake' to me was there was a white dust / powder on the cable when I straightened it.
Thoughts? Should the lightning end be the same size as the USB lightning that came with the ipad?

Dang, I was about to buy one off eBay. Did the listing say authentic?

 

[slvrscoobie]

Dang, I was about to buy one off eBay. Did the listing say authentic?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/292152764662
Original Apple.
Figured if it doesnt work, ill complain to ebay, and get my $10 back, and buy one at BB with my 10$ certificate.
[doublepost=1498751966][/doublepost]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/292152764662
Original Apple.
Figured if it doesnt work, ill complain to ebay, and get my $10 back, and buy one at BB with my 10$ certificate.

well i just plugged it into my power meter, and its charging @ 88% battery, with 25/21W so I guess thats good!

 

[upandown]

All the extra money for just an hour faster charge? Not worth it

Sorry but an hour different is pretty substantial

 

[Mcdevidr]

Sorry but an hour different is pretty substantial

Not sorry, but saving the $60 or more dollars is pretty substantial too. That's quite a few beers!

 

[slvrscoobie]

Well seems my eBay cable works well. Doubled my 42% charge to 85in an hour.

 

[Lilj135]

I wonder how smart chargers like Anker would fare? They have up to 12w per USB jack, but are supposed to maximize in a "smart-charging" way, so if the iPad Pro signals it can accept ≥24w and especially if only 1 USB in a 24w 2-port charger is used, can it deliver 24w charging speed?
[doublepost=1497244108][/doublepost]

And actually this one seems pretty affordable:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0196JB1ZS/ref=psdc_12557637011_t1_B01D8C6ULO

I have an Anker Charger myself, but from the looks of it the iPad Pro will not fast charge off of these devices. The issue I'm seeing is that the iPad Pro only "fast charges" if it gets the 14.5 V current or whatever supplied to it, but the Anker seems to be still charging at 5V. (I just purchased a PowerPort 2 Elite and the brick has 5V at 2.4A on the bottom)
From Anker's page you linked:
"PowerIQ and VoltageBoost maximize charging speed up to 8 amps, or 2.4 amps per port."
It does not specify the volts, but the page for my product (PowerPort 2 Elite) says basically the same thing and the wall adapter itself says it supplies 5V output: "Patented PowerIQ and VoltageBoost technologies charge any device at its fastest possible speed, up to 2.4A"

 

[iF34R]

Charging my iPad Pro 10.5 from a RavPower 20100 via usb-c to lightning cable; the iPad is drawing 4.97-5.00v @2.50-2.55a.

 

[MrGimper]

Got my ebay cable. Box and packaging are spot on, even has the 2 manuals, and the cable wound up. Compared to my USB Cable that came in the ipad box, the USB-C to Lightning cable is a little thicker (wattage increase?) and the connector is a touch larger. Only thing that says 'Fake' to me was there was a white dust / powder on the cable when I straightened it.
Thoughts? Should the lightning end be the same size as the USB lightning that came with the ipad?

Can you provide measurements of the plastic bit on the lightning and usb plugs of the original cable please?

 

[rdy0329]

For those who also has the Google Pixel, it’s 18W charger actually charges my 12.9” iPad Pro from 0-100 in 3H instead of the usual 4.5H. The improvement is enough for me to forgo the 29W Apple USB-C Charger. Saved me some $$.

Will try to test it with my 10.5 iPP after depleting the battery.

 

[KrisLord]

Can you provide measurements of the plastic bit on the lightning and usb plugs of the original cable please?

I had an eBay fake and took it to an Apple Store and bought a genuine cable.

The genuine cable should not feel the same as a normal USB-A lightning cable. The cable itself is thicker and therefore harder to bend.

The lightning end is also bigger on the original.

My fake wouldn’t charge at 29w.

 

[MrGimper]

I had an eBay fake and took it to an Apple Store and bought a genuine cable.

The genuine cable should not feel the same as a normal USB-A lightning cable. The cable itself is thicker and therefore harder to bend.

The lightning end is also bigger on the original.

My fake wouldn’t charge at 29w.

Thanks a lot for this. My 2x Amazon refurbished cables look genuine then. The cable is thicker, and the plastic of the lightning plug is about 1mm wider and 2mm longer

 

[T-Bob]

Not a fake per se, but a third party cable used such a thin gauge of wire (presumably) that it wouldn't even slow charge devices as fast, basically useless and never used now.

 

[Jervasio]

I agree they're milking us now for the 29W + usb-c cable.

I love the idea of fast charging, but what's best for the 10.5" batteries health and longevity?

Short of convinving evidence, it's hard to argue that what comes boxed with it, a 12W adapter, will not be it.

penajmz: When you mentioned 'it has been found that the iPad Pro is designed to be charged at 29W.' doesn't the same point apply? That is, it comes boxed with a 12W adapter?.. Just because a 29W *can* charge the device faster, does it mean it's better for the batteries life?

Post #11's sceenshot above mentioned the 1st gen 12.9" (more demanding than the 10.5), while playing Oceanhorn (a graphically intensive game) at full brightness, charged the device by 1.2%, so.. that's not discharging faster than the 12W can charge while in use, which I'd assume would be a higher percentage rate with the 10.5". I agree it's slow, but the great majority of user's do not use their device's consistently like this.

ABC5S: Cool, but would you agree that just because there's been no apparent issues from using the 29W, it may not be what's best still for the life of the battry?

Apparently the 29W charger outputs either 5.2V at 2.4A, or 14.5V at 2.0A. The 1st Gen 12.9, and both 2nd Gen Pro's, must be set to accept the 14.5V as their first choice, that's compelling, however.. What's best for our new 10.5" batteries still?

Any news about what's the best option for the battery in the long term? Or it's basically the same? Because if it is, I'll go with the 29W charger..