How to charge the iPhone 4 when planning a trip to Australia

A step by step guide showing you how to recharge your iPhone 4 from an Australian power outlet by using an Apple 30-pin cable with a three pin Type I USB adapter.

Australian power outlet

If packing for a holiday it's helpful to know in advance if you can power all your important electronics like mobile phones and cameras when you're there. But without knowing which wall socket to expect you are likely to bring the wrong power charger, therefore leaving you having to buy a potentially overpriced charger when you're there which might be incompatible. Varying complicated voltages and standards can all be confusing when planning to visit another country especially to the first time traveller. This page has simple instructions telling you what you'll need to charge the iPhone 4 when travelling to Australia using their standard 230 volt 50Hz Type I power outlet. When travelling to Australia from another country check the iPhone 4 can be charged using a 240 volt supply. If it came from a country which uses a lower voltage such as 110 volts make sure your device is dual voltage (marked with a 100-240 volt notation) else you may need to use an additional transformer to avoid the device from being damaged during charging. These instructions assume you are running Apple iOS 7 or greater on the iPhone 4.

Charging the iPhone 4 in Australia

Can you use the iPhone 4 in Australia?

Yes, you can connect the iPhone 4 to an Australian power outlet.

What is the best power adapter for recharging the iPhone 4 in Australia?

If travelling to more than one country then the best international travel charger for Australia is a multiple USB port adapter which includes swappable plugs like a 4 port USB travel charger. As these types of chargers are supplied with interchangeable pins and can handle from 100 volts - 240 volts will mean you can travel to over 100 countries around the world simply by changing the supplied plugs. If your type of iPhone 4 can support Fast Charge (not all USB devices do) then you'll benefit from quicker recharging times by using one of these types of power adapters, and support for more power hungry devices. This will allow you to recharge more than one device at once without needing to pack individual travel adapters for your trip or using up additional wall sockets. By only packing a single international USB travel charger will help keep the weight and size down, making it ideal to store in hand baggage whilst travelling. Because of their space saving flexibility these types of adapters can be used at home so when you’re not on holiday they can sit under your bedside table charging multiple tablets, smartphones and speakers with only a single power outlet.

We recommend searching for this type of flexible power adapter online. The multipurpose travel charger illustrated is the 4 Port USB Wall Charger which has been successfully tested with multiple USB devices in numerous countries on a daily basis.

Alternative travel adapter for Australia

The 4 port USB travel charger is the most compact option for travellers from around the world who only have USB devices such as the iPhone 4, but for visitors also wishing to use their domestic plugs the following power converters provide larger but more versatile solutions. All three power strips offer surge protection which can be necessary for visitors of regions with unreliable power supplies. These travel adapters come with interchangeable type C, I and G plugs covering Continental Europe, North America, Australia, United Kingdom, Japan, China and over 150 countries around the world:

  • BESTEK Portable International Travel Voltage Converter - The BESTEK travel converter has 4 USB charging ports with 3 AC power outlets and is the most popular compact power converter for travellers originating from North America going to Australia using type B American plug sockets.
  • ORICO Traveling Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip - Similarly having 4 USB ports but only 2 AC power outlets the travel adapter from Orico is also aimed at travellers from North America using type B plugs and is a much more cost effective alternative to the BESTEK with only 1 less AC outlet at almost half 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 perfect for a majority of travellers from around the world visiting Australia. [6] [AD]
What is the best power adapter for recharging the iPhone 4 in Australia?

How to use a Type J power charger for recharging your iPhone 4 from an Australian power outlet

Using a USB 30 pin connector and a 3 pinned Type I power charger to recharge the iPhone 4 with an Australian power outlet.

  1. If you want to charge your iPhone 4 using an Australian power outlet you'll need to use a Type I USB power plug adapter [4] and a USB to Apple 30 pin cable [5], the USB cable is usually included with your iPhone 4 by Apple.
  2. Firstly you'll need to insert the Type I USB power plug adapter into the Australian power outlet. The wall supply, technically known as the Type I power outlet [3], can be identified by three slots for the live, neutral and ground blades. Please be aware that the neutral and live blades are configured reversed compared to Argentinian power outlets so check that your Type I travel adaptor is compatible with an Australian power supply.
  3. Plug in one end of the USB to Apple 30 pin cable into the bottom of the USB mains adapter and the other end into the dock connector on the iPhone 4. The iPhone 4 dock connector is found at bottom of the iPhone 4.
  4. Switch on the Australian power outlet.
  5. The battery icon which you'll find in the top right hand corner of the iPhone screen will display a charge icon to indicate that the iPhone is recharging which typically takes around one-four hours to fully recharge. [AD]
How to use a Type J power charger for recharging your iPhone 4 from an Australian power outlet

See also

  1. Wikipedia - wikipedia web page about Australia
  2. Apple - official iPhone user guide
  3. iec.ch - Type I power outlet
  4. Type I USB power plug adapter - Type I USB chargers use three short flat blades in a V format with the top blade acting as a grounding pin.
  5. USB to Apple 30 pin cable - This connects compatible iPhones, iPods and iPads to a USB port for charging, syncing and playing music.
  6. 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..