Charging your iPhone 5S from a power outlet in Colombia

Instructions showing how to charge your iPhone 5S with a Colombian power outlet with a USB Lightning Apple cable with a Type A power adapter and how to charge the iPhone 5S using a Type B USB plug.

Colombian power outlet

Varying complicated standards and sockets can often lead to confusion when planning to visit another country if you've never been there before. These instructions have been specifically written to stop you having to worry if you'll be able to charge your iPhone 5S abroad.If you are visiting Colombia the following useful instructions show how to power your iPhone 5S by using their types B or A 110 volt 60Hz plug outlets. If your iPhone 5S slowly recharges or doesn't turn on when travelling to Colombia from another region check that it is compatible with a 110 volt power supply. Typically devices which originate from another country which use a higher voltage such as 220 volts can take longer to charge or won't turn on, so check your iPhone 5S is dual voltage (you'll find these are usually marked with a 100-240 volt notation) else you may need to use an additional converter to ensure proper use. If you plan to visit a place like Bogotá or Medellín we recommend reading the Colombian country page on Wikipedia.org [1] for more information. These instructions assume that you are running Apple iOS 7 or greater on the iPhone 5S.

Charging the iPhone 5S in Colombia

Can you use the iPhone 5S in Colombia?

You can connect the iPhone 5S to a Colombian power outlet.

What is the best power charger for recharging the iPhone 5S in Colombia?

If you are travelling with more than just your iPhone 5S and visiting multiple countries the best international travel charger for Colombia to buy is a multiple USB charger which includes compatible plugs like a 4 port USB travel charger. Colombians use two different standards of plug sockets (types B and A) and bringing this ensures that you are covered for type A.

As these chargers come with interchangeable plugs and handle from 100 volts - 240 volts will mean that you can travel to multiple countries in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa simply by changing the included plugs over. If your iPhone 5S can support Fast Charge then you'll benefit from much quicker charging times by using one of these USB travel chargers, along with compatibility with more power demanding devices like tablets.

This will allow you to charge multiple devices at the same time without needing to pack individual travel chargers for your Colombian trip or occupying additional wall outlets. Because you are only bringing a single international USB travel charger will help keep the overall weight and size down, making it perfect to fold up in hand baggage as well as being suitable for charging your iPhone 5S at an airport or on a flight. Due to their versatility these types of adapters can be used at home not just abroad so when you’re not travelling they can sit under your bedside table charging multiple tablets, smartphones and e-readers with just a single plug socket.

If you travel to different countries we suggest buying a versatile power charger of this nature online; the multipurpose power adapter illustrated here is the 4 Port USB Wall Charger which has been successfully tested with multiple USB devices in numerous foreign countries around the world on a daily basis.

Alternative travel adapter for Colombia

The 4 port USB travel charger is the most compact option for travellers from around the world wanting to recharge devices via USB, however for visitors also wanting to use their domestic plugs the following power strips provide larger but more versatile solutions. All three power adapters offer surge protection which is useful when visiting regions with unreliable power supplies to prevent damage to any connected devices from voltage spikes. These travel adapters come with interchangeable type C, I and G plugs which cover Continental Europe, America, Australia, United Kingdom, Japan, China and over 150 destinations:

  • BESTEK Portable International Travel Voltage Converter - The BESTEK travel converter has 4 USB charging ports with 3 AC power outlets and is the best selling portable power adapter for travellers originating from America going to Colombia.
  • ORICO Traveling Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip - Likewise having 4 USB ports but only 2 AC power outlets the travel adapter from Orico is also aimed at travellers from the US using type B plugs. This offers the same set of features as the BESTEK with only one less AC outlet at almost half the price.
  • BESTEK International USB Travel Power Strip - This power strip has just 2 AC outlets but offers 5 USB charging ports. This versatile power strip is compatible with both American plugs and popular plug types A, D,E/F, G, H, I, L and N making it suitable for most travellers from around the world visiting Colombia. [8] [AD]
What is the best power charger for recharging the iPhone 5S in Colombia?

Powering the iPhone 5S with a Colombian power outlet by using a 2 pinned Type A USB adapter

Instructions showing how to charge your iPhone 5S with a Colombian power outlet with a USB Lightning Apple cable with a Type A power adapter.

  1. If you want to supply power to the iPhone 5S using a Colombian power outlet you'll need a Type A USB power plug adapter [4] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5] (typically already included with the iPhone 5S).
  2. First you'll need to insert the Type A USB power plug adapter in the power outlet. You can recognise the wall outlet by the two thin adjacent slots next to each other for live and neutral blades.
  3. Connect one end of the USB to Apple Lightning cable into the bottom of the USB power adapter and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPhone 5S. The iPhone 5S Lightning connector can be found at bottom of your iPhone 5S under the home button.
  4. Switch on the Colombian power outlet.
  5. The battery icon which appears in the top right hand corner of your iPhone will display a charge icon to indicate that the iPhone 5S is charging, typically taking between one to four hours to fully recharge to full capacity. [AD]
Powering the iPhone 5S with a Colombian power outlet by using a 2 pinned Type A USB adapter

Powering the iPhone 5S with a Colombian power outlet by using a 3 pinned Type B USB adapter

A step by step guide showing how to recharge your iPhone 5S with a Colombian power outlet with a Lightning Apple cable and a Type B USB adapter.

  1. To power the iPhone 5S using the Colombian power outlet you'll need a Type B USB power plug adapter [7] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5] (usually already included with the iPhone 5S).
  2. Begin the process by taking the Type B USB power plug adapter and inserting it in the Colombian power outlet. You can identify the power supply by the 2 thin slots next to each other for live and neutral blades with a single semicircle hole below for the slightly long earth pin.
  3. Then connect the USB end of the USB to Apple Lightning cable into the USB mains adapter and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPhone 5S. You can find the Lightning connector on the iPhone 5S situated at the bottom of the iPhone 5S.
  4. Turn on the Colombian power outlet.
  5. The battery icon which appears in the top right corner of your iPhone 5S screen will display a charge icon to indicate that the iPhone 5S is powering up which typically takes between 1 to 4 hours to completely recharge to full capacity. [AD]
Powering the iPhone 5S with a Colombian power outlet by using a 3 pinned Type B USB adapter

See also

  1. Wikipedia - Colombian country page on Wikipedia.org
  2. Apple - official iPhone user guide
  3. iec.ch - Type A power outlet
  4. Type A USB power plug adapter - With its two-blade, ungrounded design, the Type A USB power plug adapter offers a straightforward way to convert electrical outlets in countries like the United States and Canada into USB ports for easy device charging..
  5. USB to Apple Lightning cable - The Apple Lightning cable is a charging and syncing cable for more recent Apple devices and connects compatible iPhones and iPads to a USB port.
  6. iec.ch - Type B power outlet
  7. Type B USB power plug adapter - A Type B USB power plug adapter conforms to the NEMA 5-15 specifications, featuring 2 parallel flat blades and an extended grounding pin. Rated at 15A and 125 volts, suitable for use in the United States and Canada for converting domestic outlets to USB..
  8. 4 Port USB Wall Charger - A 4-port USB wall charger is an electrical device that provides simultaneous charging for up to four USB-compatible devices. It often includes interchangeable international plug adapters for global use..