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

brucemr

macrumors regular
Sep 25, 2019
174
169
brucemr, well this is the info I’ve been looking for today.

Do you have a reference for where you got that info or do you just remembering hearing that stuff somewhere and are doing it from memory?

Looked closer at 7th gen and believe it supports PD fast charging. Corrected my original post.

I was triggered to look closer based on rui no onna post of 30 W PD charger compatibility. 18W PD charger also lists 7th gen.

No idea why Apple does not market fast charge on ipad specs, but do on iPhones. PD fast charging will make a larger charge time improvement on an iPad than on iPhone compared to charging both on non-PD 12w standard iPad charger.

There is a support page on Apple site that lists fast charging compatible devices. It is out of date though ....2019 iPads and iPhones are not listed.
 

levander

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 21, 2011
263
168
My substitute for fast charging is owning 2 iPad 5s. One charging (usually overnight) while the other always available. But then, trying to reduce my iPad time and this doesn't help.
Lol, same. One of the reasons I always kept my old iPads when upgrading. Right now, I alternate between a Pro 10.5 and Air 3. ?

I am usually using my iPad in one specific spot. I just keep a charger with a six foot cable in it. If it runs out of battery, I can plug it in while using it. If I happen to not be in my spot, I keep a small USB charger in my wallet that is only 1,500 mAh. But it’s enough to get like ten minutes of use out of my iPad. The wallet charger is really for my iPhone,

But other people use their iPads other ways. The way I do it is not gonna work for everyone.
[automerge]1576431850[/automerge]
Looked closer at 7th gen and believe it supports PD fast charging. Corrected my original post.

I was triggered to look closer based on rui no onna post of 30 W PD charger compatibility. 18W PD charger also lists 7th gen.

No idea why Apple does not market fast charge on ipad specs, but do on iPhones. PD fast charging will make a larger charge time improvement on an iPad than on iPhone compared to charging both on non-PD 12w standard iPad charger.

There is a support page on Apple site that lists fast charging compatible devices. It is out of date though ....2019 iPads and iPhones are not listed.

Where are you looking at the specs for the iPad 7?
 

rui no onna

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
14,921
13,273
I am usually using my iPad in one specific spot. I just keep a charger with a six foot cable in it. If it runs out of battery, I can plug it in while using it. If I happen to not be in my spot, I keep a small USB charger in my wallet that is only 1,500 mAh. But it’s enough to get like ten minutes of use out of my iPad. The wallet charger is really for my iPhone,

But other people use their iPads other ways. The way I do it is not gonna work for everyone.
We have 6' and 10' ft Anker braided cables connected to multi-port Anker chargers. Also got a couple of PowerCore 10,000s and one PowerCore 20,000 (although these tend to be permanently packed in a to-go bag). Alas, oftentimes the charging cable gets in the way while using especially when I switch sides while lying down so I prefer to just swap iPads. :)
 

levander

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 21, 2011
263
168
Just finished first part of the test.

Drained the iPad 7 battery down to zero, then charged it for an hour on the USB-C lightning cable. It only got up to 28%.

I’ll do the test on the regular USB lightning cable tomorrow.

Well, yesterday afternoon I drained the iPad 7 battery to zero, then charged on the regular lightning cable. After an hour that Charge was at 25%.

So the USB-C lightning cable charged the iPad 7 about 10 percent faster.

I went to Best Buy afterward and am now the proud owner of an iPad Air 3. I got home and the battery is fully charged though. Typing this on the Air 3 now and the battery is at 48% still. I’ll do the charge test for an hour with it after the battery drains to see how proud of an owner I am.

I didn’t think the faster processor in the Air 3 would matter. But like the animations throwing apps around the desktop and what-not do happen more effortlessly on the Air 3 than on the 7. The faster processor does seem to matter some. But I imagine I’ll just get used to it and it won’t matter before too long.
 

levander

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 21, 2011
263
168
Well, I did the test with iPad Air 3. Drain the battery down to zero. Then charged it for an hour on the USB-C lightning cable listed in the OP. The iPad Air 3 was at 64% when I looked. More than twice as much as any test I ran with he iPad 7.

what’s so bizarre about the whole thing is I was waiting for the release of a new iPad this spring. And I was all excited but the one thing I really wanted was fast charge. I looked all over the specs and it said nothing about fast charge. And people online were saying it doesn’t support it. So I didn’t buy it. Just kept lumbering along with my now really slow Air 1. Then months later I hear about another new iPad coming out, and I go online to read about it. Turns out it wasn’t officially listed, but people had plugged meters, etc. into the Air 3 that had come out a few months ago. And it did support fast charge! But now this next iPad was coming out and it was going to be cheaper. And people online were saying since the Air 3 supports fast charge, it’d be weird if this new one doesn’t. It was going to support fast charge...

I guess the upside is I saved a hundred bucks. The Air 3 was still on sale at Best Buy for $400.

Still, if Apple would just tell us what the hell is going on, I would have happily parted with the hundred bucks and been using the Air 3 for the last six months or so.

As it is, Apple ended up with another open box/refurb or however they sell them. And I don’t feel bad about it at all. If they’d tell me what the hell they’re doing, they wouldn’t have ended up with it.
[automerge]1576525682[/automerge]
We have 6' and 10' ft Anker braided cables connected to multi-port Anker chargers. Also got a couple of PowerCore 10,000s and one PowerCore 20,000 (although these tend to be permanently packed in a to-go bag). Alas, oftentimes the charging cable gets in the way while using especially when I switch sides while lying down so I prefer to just swap iPads. :)

You seem happy with your charging solution. So I didn’t say anything at first. But for whatever reason, I can’t help it.

You could keep your PowerCore and a shorter cable wherever you are currently keeping this one cable. Then no matter how you flip or roll over, you could take your PowerCore with you?

also, just to make sure you know about it. There’s a product called the Jackery Bolt that does have a good quality reputation. It has a micro-USB and lightning cable integrated into it. So you don’t need a separate cable. My Mom has a need for a portable power source because she travels. And the Jackery Bolt 10,000 mAh is what I got her.
 
Last edited:

rui no onna

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
14,921
13,273
[automerge]1576525682[/automerge]
You seem happy with your charging solution. So I didn’t say anything at first. But for whatever reason, I can’t help it.

You could keep your PowerCore and a shorter cable wherever you are currently keeping this one cable. Then no matter how you flip or roll over, you could take your PowerCore with you?
I do have 4" to 1' cables as well as 3' Anker 3-in-1 that are kept with the portable chargers. As much as possible, I just don't like having stuff dangling off the iPad when I'm using it unless it's sitting on a desk.
 
  • Like
Reactions: levander

levander

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 21, 2011
263
168
I do have 4" to 1' cables as well as 3' Anker 3-in-1 that are kept with the portable chargers. As much as possible, I just don't like having stuff dangling off the iPad when I'm using it unless it's sitting on a desk.

Okay, fair enough. It sounds weird to me. But if you’re happy with it, then that’s what matters.
 

Chocolatemilty

macrumors 6502a
May 17, 2009
653
113
Los Angeles, CA
Hey OP. I currently own an iPad Air 3 and can confirm that it supports fast charging. I only have an 18W AmazonBasics charger and the 11 Pro one from the box, but can confirm that it charges noticeably faster than my iPad 6 did (same charging spec as iPad 7) while having a bigger battery than both.
 
  • Like
Reactions: levander

rui no onna

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
14,921
13,273
Hey OP. I currently own an iPad Air 3 and can confirm that it supports fast charging. I only have an 18W AmazonBasics charger and the 11 Pro one from the box, but can confirm that it charges noticeably faster than my iPad 6 did (same charging spec as iPad 7) while having a bigger battery than both.
As far as battery capacity, it's the other way around.

Both iPad 6 and iPad 7 have 32.9 Wh batteries. The Air 3 (and Pro 10.5) has 30.8 Wh.

https://www.apple.com/legal/more-resources/docs/apple-product-information-sheet.pdf

That said, I did check charging load earlier (with devices at 20-30% starting charge):

Belkin power monitor (similar to Kill-A-Watt)
Anker PowerPort III Duo
Anker PowerLine II USB-C to Lightning 6'

iPad Pro 12.9 (2nd gen) 19.7 W
iPad Pro 10.5 (2nd gen) 19.7 W
iPad Air (3rd gen) 19.7 W
iPad (7th gen) 15 W
iPad (6th gen) 15 W
 
Last edited:

rui no onna

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
14,921
13,273
To all those older posts which doubted that it does support fast charging

it does... all here


under compatibility it mentions the iPad 7 and others which take advantage of it

Hmm, this kinda suggests iPad 7th gen should support fast charging though. The iPad Pro 9.7 is notably missing (which we know doesn't support fast charging) but the iPad 7th gen is listed.

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MR2A2LL/A/30w-usb-c-power-adapter

View attachment 882862

I've already made note of that in an earlier post. Actual testing shows the iPad 7 only pulls 15W from 30W USB-PD charger.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Homme

Homme

macrumors 6502a
Jun 17, 2014
951
869
Sydney
I've already made note of that in an earlier post. Actual testing shows the iPad 7 only pulls 15W from 30W USB-PD charger.

yeah iPads don’t fast charge the way A11 iPhones “fast charge” though (I’m not sure about USB C Ones though)
 

rui no onna

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
14,921
13,273
yeah iPads don’t fast charge the way A11 iPhones “fast charge” though (I’m not sure about USB C Ones though)
The iPad 7 may not but all of the following support up to 30W fast charging, afaik, which is higher than the 18W supported by iPhones.

iPad Pro 12.9 1st - 4th gen
iPad Pro 11 1st - 2nd gen
iPad Pro 10.5
iPad Air 3
 
  • Like
Reactions: Homme

Hello...

macrumors 6502a
Oct 10, 2011
808
107
I definitely tested both of them with the fast charger and the regular charger there was absolutely no difference on the iPad seven, to say the other is totally wrong.Are used a genuine 30 watt with a new Apple cord.
 

levander

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 21, 2011
263
168
I definitely tested both of them with the fast charger and the regular charger there was absolutely no difference on the iPad seven, to say the other is totally wrong.Are used a genuine 30 watt with a new Apple cord.

Which Apple cord did you use?

Can you give time measures as to how long it took to charge the iPad 7? Like can you say how long it took to charge fully? Or can you say what percentage the iPad 7 was charged after one hour?
 

gtg465x

macrumors 6502a
Sep 12, 2016
754
883
I just confirmed myself that the iPad 7th gen does not support fast charging. I have USB meters that show the voltage / amps / watts being pulled, and while the iPad 7th gen will charge using a USB-C charger, it only charges at around 12W (5V / 2.4A), whereas my iPad Pro 10.5 will charge at around 30W (15V / 2A). These numbers align with someone’s test earlier in the thread... an iPad 7th gen charged 25% in an hour and an Air 3 charged 64% in an hour. If you do (30/12) * 25, you get 62.5, so 12W and 30W was what those devices were charging at for the test.
 

kiranmk2

macrumors 68000
Oct 4, 2008
1,669
2,312
Don't be fooled by 'compatibility' lists on chargers. This just means that the the models listed will work with the charger, not that they will take full advantage of it. The only way to tell whether your device is fast charging for sure is to use a USB voltage/current tester - if your iPad is pulling more than 5 V then it supports fast charging.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rui no onna
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.