Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPad Pro 12.9" really slow to charge

rsdotscot

rsdotscot

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 10, 2006
205
89
Scotland
Hi folks,

I received my iPP 12.9" this week and it's all good with a single exception: slow battery charging.

Last night I had it plugged in to my display's USB3 hub and put on Netflix and it was using the juice faster than it could take it, resulting in the battery draining while it was charging.

Is this normal for this device? Any ideas how I could improve charging?


Cheers,
Rab
 
Unfortunately it's normal, it's a beast of a battery and the included charger is somewhat underpowered for it.

The only way to improve it is to use the Apple 29W charger (comes with the new MacBook or can be purchased separately) and the recently released USB-C to Lightning cable. Total cost of these two items is £64, if you're in the UK of course.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cascades42
I bought both the above items. For a quick charge they are great. The 'included' one I just use for overnight charging. One upstairs, one downstairs. And yes.....they should of included the quicker one with the device but then they wouldn't get my extra cash!
 
Rab Simpson said:
Hi folks,

I received my iPP 12.9" this week and it's all good with a single exception: slow battery charging.

Last night I had it plugged in to my display's USB3 hub and put on Netflix and it was using the juice faster than it could take it, resulting in the battery draining while it was charging.

Is this normal for this device? Any ideas how I could improve charging?


Cheers,
Rab
Click to expand...

The other are right. The USB out of your display will not input enough to even keep up. The 12 watt included charger is not going to either if it is a CPU intensive. You can buy the larger charger and adapter or do like I do and just charge it overnight.
 
  • Like
Reactions: friedmud
I've been using a Tartentech mains charger on my 12.9" today and it pretty much kept it charged at 81% while I was using it and snuck up to 90ish in the periods my attention was elsewhere.

I had ordered a 29w charger and a USB Cable from Apple, but I'm going to cancel and stick with the Tartentech.
 
One of the few cases where I have to take off my Apple fanboy hat and call bs On Apple for not including a charger better suited for the Pro. 5 and a half hours for a full charge? That's nowhere even close to being reasonable.

Does it affect me? No. I charge overnight. Is it still a bunch of crap just for the fact of the matter? Hell yes
 
Ghost31 said:
One of the few cases where I have to take off my Apple fanboy hat and call bs On Apple for not including a charger better suited for the Pro. 5 and a half hours for a full charge? That's nowhere even close to being reasonable.

Does it affect me? No. I charge overnight. Is it still a bunch of crap just for the fact of the matter? Hell yes
Click to expand...
Option 1: ship a slower charger but with a cable that everyone can use for syncing.

Option 2: ship a fast charger, incurring more cost that must either be absorbed or passed on to the customer, and leave the customer with a USB-C cable 99.9% of people cannot use for syncing.

Option 3: include both USB-A and USB-C. Too expensive and inelegant.

Option 4: include USB-C and an adapter. Ditto.

They had to do what they did.
 
  • Like
Reactions: applesith, ShaunAFC3 and Cascades42
Azzin said:
I've been using a Tartentech mains charger on my 12.9" today and it pretty much kept it charged at 81% while I was using it and snuck up to 90ish in the periods my attention was elsewhere.

I had ordered a 29w charger and a USB Cable from Apple, but I'm going to cancel and stick with the Tartentech.
Click to expand...

The 29W charger will actually charge your iPad Pro while you're using it. And fairly rapidly. Your mains charger is probably charging at 12W, ~40% of the 29W charger.
 
Yeah: everyone overlooks that if they would have shipped the faster charger that also means they would have shipped a USB-3 cable!

How many threads would we see about how "Apple is screwing me!!" because someone had to buy a USB-2 cable to sync their iPP with their computer.

Not too mention that, since they switched to Lightning, ALL iOS devices have always shipped with Lightning-USB cables. Again, how many (more!) threads would we see about "Apple is screwing me!!!" because someone had 1,000 USB2 cables all over their house that they use for charging and now they have to replace all of those.

I do totally agree that Apple should have come up with _something_ here. I'm just pointing out that it was definitely a "rock and a hard place" type situation.

Complainers will complain. People who are really effected can go out and buy the faster charger... that's my plan.
 
Brookzy said:
Option 1: ship a slower charger but with a cable that everyone can use for syncing.

Option 2: ship a fast charger, incurring more cost that must either be absorbed or passed on to the customer, and leave the customer with a USB-C cable 99.9% of people cannot use for syncing.

Option 3: include both USB-A and USB-C. Too expensive and inelegant.

Option 4: include USB-C and an adapter. Ditto.

They had to do what they did.
Click to expand...
Or you know. Not ship anything at all until they're ready to ship it right. Apple is famous for not rushing and "waiting to get it right". Shipping an iPad that charges in almost 6 hours? Ouch.

But like I said, not really complaining. I charge mine overnight.
 
friedmud said:
Yeah: everyone overlooks that if they would have shipped the faster charger that also means they would have shipped a USB-3 cable!

How many threads would we see about how "Apple is screwing me!!" because someone had to buy a USB-2 cable to sync their iPP with their computer.

Not too mention that, since they switched to Lightning, ALL iOS devices have always shipped with Lightning-USB cables. Again, how many (more!) threads would we see about "Apple is screwing me!!!" because someone had 1,000 USB2 cables all over their house that they use for charging and now they have to replace all of those.

I do totally agree that Apple should have come up with _something_ here. I'm just pointing out that it was definitely a "rock and a hard place" type situation.

Complainers will complain. People who are really effected can go out and buy the faster charger... that's my plan.
Click to expand...

I don't much care either way, I charge overnight. But they could have included a small, inexpensive USB-C to USB adapter with the 29W/USB-C combo in the box. Y'know, if they didn't want to fleece more money from us :D
 
TrueBlou said:
I don't much care either way, I charge overnight. But they could have included a small, inexpensive USB-C to USB adapter with the 29W/USB-C combo in the box. Y'know, if they didn't want to fleece more money from us :D
Click to expand...

As far as I'm aware it's not possible to create one of these whilst adhering to USB standards.

I'm fine with my 12W charger, I actually just plug the iPad into my iMac overnight to charge and it's always at 100% in the morning.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Beavix
Cascades42 said:
As far as I'm aware it's not possible to create one of these whilst adhering to USB standards.

I'm fine with my 12W charger, I actually just plug the iPad into my iMac overnight to charge and it's always at 100% in the morning.
Click to expand...


To hell with standards, Vive la révolution :D

Yeah my 12watter does me just fine for now, I'll probably pick up the 29W and cable at some point because they have Apple on them. I mean, because I might need faster charging at some point, yeah that's it :p
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cascades42 and friedmud
TrueBlou said:
To hell with standards, Vive la révolution :D

Yeah my 12watter does me just fine for now, I'll probably pick up the 29W and cable at some point because they have Apple on them. I mean, because I might need faster charging at some point, yeah that's it :p
Click to expand...



See, I said I wasn't right in the head, well I've implied as much many times :D

I had to order some nail nonsense for the wife. So what happens, I sit there and think, well so long as I'm ordering stuff anyway, might as well buy the charger :rolleyes:

Ah well, it'll come in handy when I'm draining my battery like there's no tomorrow debugging my apps. Besides I've all the patience of a, emmmm, impatient thing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: friedmud
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
Ghost31 said:
One of the few cases where I have to take off my Apple fanboy hat and call bs On Apple for not including a charger better suited for the Pro. 5 and a half hours for a full charge? That's nowhere even close to being reasonable.

Does it affect me? No. I charge overnight. Is it still a bunch of crap just for the fact of the matter? Hell yes
Click to expand...

it effects me when i kill my pro battery in 4 hrs. i just picked up a external battery for my pro. problem solved. i decided not to buy the apple charger "upgrade" i felt it was a poor decision for them to gimp the charging on a device marketed to professionals.
 
DaniJoy said:
it effects me when i kill my pro battery in 4 hrs. i just picked up a external battery for my pro. problem solved. i decided not to buy the apple charger "upgrade" i felt it was a poor decision for them to gimp the charging on a device marketed to professionals.
Click to expand...
How do you kill yours in 4 hours?! Takes me all day to run mine down
 
  • Like
Reactions: RevTEG
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
While the charging is super slow, it only becomes an issue when watching video. As has been said already, if you are watching full screen video, then even when you are plugged in you will lose power at a very slow pace.

I did some testing, and when plugged in and browsing the web, it continues to gain charge but at a very slow pace. And when in split screen with Safari on one side and YouTube on the other side, and browsing the web while watching YouTube, it stays about even while plugged in (no gain or loss of charge). I attribute this to the fact that the YouTube video is taking up only a small portion of the screen in this configuration.

So in the end, as I don't spend a huge portion of my time watching video, I have decided that for now I can live with the 12W charger. If you watch a lot of video, you will definitely want the fast charger.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Capt T and RevTEG
masotime said:
The 29W charger will actually charge your iPad Pro while you're using it. And fairly rapidly. Your mains charger is probably charging at 12W, ~40% of the 29W charger.
Click to expand...
The Tartentech one at very least keeps the charge level from dropping while in use and will charge when I stop using it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back