I got a 10w charger with my new iPad.. wtf!?

[rui no onna]

I just got a 128gb LTE 2018 iPad yesterday and it has a 12w charger. Do the LTE models have a bigger charger perhaps? Got mine in person at Best Buy and it must be new stock because it only became available two days ago at this store.

More likely random distribution.
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That makes sense that maybe the LTE iPads have the 12W charger because of stronger power requirements.....

Not really. Max that the charging circuit will take is the same. Besides, there are Pro 12.9 that came with 10W charger instead of 12W. That's got way more power requirement than simply adding LTE to the basic iPad (which has a 9.7" 60Hz display and phone chipset for Pete's sake).

 

[Clix Pix]

The random distribution theory also makes sense, since Apple is using more than one manufacturer, which we know they are, for the power adapters. I must have been very lucky, then, to have gotten the 12W with my iPad Mini 4! I expected (and got) it with my iPad Pro 12.9 (both first and second generation) and with my iPad Pro 10.5.....

 

[Richard8655]

I’m not so sure about the random distribution theory. All indications (at least from responses on this forum) is that 12W for domestic US sales, and 10W foreign (incl. Canada) and overseas.

 

[rui no onna]

I’m not so sure about the random distribution theory. All indications (at least from responses on this forum) is that 12W for domestic US sales, and 10W foreign (incl. Canada) and overseas.

US here and I've received both 10W and 12W before (2017 iPad, 12W from Best Buy upon launch and the 10W from Apple Store 5 months later).

 

[Richard8655]

I've had a 2017 iPad that came with 10W (Los Angeles-area Apple Store).

Interesting, sounds like an outlier. Well, the trend seems to be 10w foreign and 12w domestic. We had a US buyer of 1000 here recently, and so far all 12w as he reported.

 

[rui no onna]

Interesting, sounds like an outlier. Well, the trend seems to be 10w foreign and 12w domestic. We had a US buyer of 1000 here recently, and so far all 12w as he reported.

If you're buying iPads in bulk, it's likely they'll come from the same production batch so it's to be expected they'll all have the same charger.

Mind, 5 out of 6 of my latest iPad purchases came with 12W chargers so perhaps Flextronics (12W) is the preferred supplier for US shipments and they only switch to Foxlink (10W) when Flextronics is unable to handle demand.

 

[Clix Pix]

US here and I've received both 10W and 12W before (2017 iPad, 12W from Best Buy upon launch and the 10W from Apple Store 5 months later).

US here as well, and a friend who also has the iPad Mini 4 (I believe she purchased it just over a year ago) got the 10W power adapter in her iPad Mini 4 box, so I would not have been surprised if when I opened mine the same situation would have applied — and was quite pleased to find that I had the 12W in there!

 

[Richard8655]

If you're buying iPads in bulk, it's likely they'll come from the same production batch so it's to be expected they'll all have the same charger.

Mind, 5 out of 6 of my latest iPad purchases came with 12W chargers so perhaps Flextronics (12W) is the preferred supplier for US shipments and they only switch to Foxlink (10W) when Flextronics is unable to handle demand.

Yes, this is probably quite true. I’d also guess there must be some sort of contract for Flextronic to provide for US domestic sales, and Foxlink foriegn. But as you and Clix Pix report, there are exceptions.

Perhaps some of those inventories destined for overseas are diverted to fill occasional domestic gaps (this is what you said also). But this is all a guess. I haven’t yet heard of a non-US buyer on this forum report receiving as 12w with their iPad, however.

 

[joeblow7777]

I just got a 128gb LTE 2018 iPad yesterday and it has a 12w charger. Do the LTE models have a bigger charger perhaps? Got mine in person at Best Buy and it must be new stock because it only became available two days ago at this store.

That makes sense that maybe the LTE iPads have the 12W charger because of stronger power requirements.....

They still have the same size battery though, do they not?