iPad has a different USB cable...

[JReynolds]

So the the Apple store employee told me that the USB cable that came with my iPad was different than the ones I already own. It can carries higher watts or soemthing...?

Anyways, the iPad will charge faster with it's own cable than with my iPhone cable I was told. Will it sync faster too? Can I even use the the normal USB that came with my iPhone to sync?

I ask because I'm about to put a movie on the iPad and the cord was upstairs. I had my other USB cables from my iPhones etc, but went up to the ONE cable for the iPad.

 

[fjfjfjfj]

So the the Apple store employee told me that the USB cable that came with my iPad was different than the ones I already own. It can carries higher watts or soemthing...?

Anyways, the iPad will charge faster with it's own cable than with my iPhone cable I was told. Will it sync faster too? Can I even use the the normal USB that came with my iPhone to sync?

I ask because I'm about to put a movie on the iPad and the cord was upstairs. I had my other USB cables from my iPhones etc, but went up to the ONE cable for the iPad.

Interested to hear the answer to this question. I know the adapter is different (it's 10W), but I thought the actual cable was the same.

I can confirm that if you charge your iPad with an iPhone cord and adapter it will take longer; I have experienced this and an Apple Genius confirmed that as well.

 

[elfxmilhouse]

cable is the same as iphone/ipod.

power adapter is different.

 

[slpdLoad]

The actual power brick is what is different, not the cable. It is a 10 watt power supply. As such, you cannot use the USB power bricks that might have come with previous iPods or iPhones.

The actual UDB to Dock Connector cable is not any different. It will not sync faster. Any cable will provide the same results, whether it is the one provided with the iPad, one from a previous Apple product, of a third-party cable.

Due to the higher power requirements of the iPad, your computer may not be capable of charging the iPad from its USB ports. It will still sync at full speed however.

 

[emaja]

I call shenanigans.

I am using a regular iPod cable and it works fine. The adapter is different, but that is due to the higher requirements to charge to iPad. The cable is the same.

 

[JReynolds]

My mistake! Now that people have replied I think he was just talking about the bricks. He compared the MBP 13" to a 17" and said one could handle more watts than the other.

So I think the USB cable is the same...

Thanks for the replies.

 

[Night Spring]

Also, the iPhone power bricks do charge the iPad, it just takes longer.

 

[netdoc66]

The cable is different

I can sync when I use my iPad cable. I cannot with any other cable. The pin connections are slightly different between the 2 different cables.

 

[za9ra22]

I can sync when I use my iPad cable. I cannot with any other cable. The pin connections are slightly different between the 2 different cables.

I use the cable which came with my 5th gen iPod, and the iPad syncs perfectly. The iPad cable works with my iPod and iPhone. Whatever pin configurations there may be in the devices, there are no differences between the cables.

 

[Consultant]

The iPad cable looks slightly different visually but it should be the power adapter that provides the faster charging.

 

[hsotnicam8002]

My ipad charges faster on its original cable via USB from a hub connected to my iMac, than on a third party cable connected to the wall charger.In fact, on the wall charger it takes longer to charge than to run down the battery. When I used the cable that came with the ipad on the wall charger it was quick to charge. Now explain that. Mind you, there is a time warp here in the outbacks of York, UK. Else why did I have to put my heating on today, just two weeks away from mid-summer?