How to charge your iPhone 5C from a power outlet in Colombia

Instructions showing how to recharge your iPhone 5C from a Colombian power outlet using the Lightning Apple connector with a Type A power charger and powering the iPhone 5C using a 3 pinned Type B power plug.

Colombian power outlet

Complicated standards and plugs can often lead to confusion when planning on staying in another country to the first time traveller. With only a handful of different types of common standards used in the world this article tells you exactly what you'll need in advance to power your iPhone 5C in Colombia. These instructions were specifically written to help prepare visitors wanting to power the iPhone 5C abroad.When you're visiting Colombia this page contains instructions showing how to supply power to your iPhone 5C using the standard types B or A Colombian 110 volt 60Hz power outlets. If your iPhone 5C charges slowly or does not power up when travelling to Colombia from another region please check that it is compatible with a 110 volt power supply. Devices which come from a different country which use a higher voltage such as 220 volts may take longer to charge or won't power up, so check your device is dual voltage (normally marked with a 100-240 volt notation) otherwise you may need to use an additional converter to ensure proper use. These instructions assume that you have installed Apple iOS 7 or greater on the iPhone 5C.

Charging the iPhone 5C in Colombia

Can the iPhone 5C be used in Colombia?

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

What is the best travel adapter for the iPhone 5C in Colombia?

If travelling with more than just your iPhone 5C or visiting multiple countries then the best international travel charger for Colombia is a multiple USB port adapter which includes compatible plugs such as a 4 port USB travel charger. There are two types of plug sockets that Colombians use (types B and A) and using a travel charger like this will ensure that you are covered for type A.

As these types of chargers are supplied with interchangeable pins and handle 100 volts to 240 volts will mean that you can travel to multiple countries around the world just by changing the supplied heads. If your iPhone 5C supports Fast Charge then you'll benefit from quicker recharging times by using one of these types of USB power chargers and additional compatibility with more power demanding devices. Having a four port charger will also allow you to recharge multiple devices at once without needing to pack individual travel adapters or using up additional wall outlets. By only bringing a single lightweight USB travel charger will also keep the overall weight and size down, making it perfect to store in hand baggage whilst travelling and convenient for charging your iPhone 5C at an airport or on a plane. Because of their flexibility these types of chargers can be used at home as well as abroad so when you’re not on holiday they can be used overnight charging multiple tablets, phones and speakers and using just a single plug socket.

For those travelling on a regular basis we recommend searching for a flexible travel adapter like this at an electronics retailer - the multipurpose travel adapter illustrated is the 4 Port USB Wall Charger which has been successfully tested for charging multiple USB devices in numerous foreign countries around the world.

Alternative travel adapter for Colombia

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 5C, however for visitors also wanting to use their domestic plugs these power converters provide larger but more versatile solutions. All 3 power adapters offer surge protection which can be useful for travellers to regions with unreliable power supplies. These travel converters are supplied with interchangeable type C, I and G plugs which cover both Colombia and over 150 countries around the world:

  • BESTEK Portable International Travel Voltage Converter - The BESTEK travel adaptor has 4 USB charging ports with 3 AC power outlets and is the most popular compact power adapter for travellers originating from America visiting Colombia using 3 pin type B US plug sockets.
  • 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 America using type B plugs. This offers practically the same functionality as the BESTEK with just 1 less AC outlet at almost half price.
  • BESTEK International USB Travel Power Strip - This power strip has just 2 AC outlets but offers a flexible 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 travel adapter for the iPhone 5C in Colombia?

How to use a Type A power charger for recharging your iPhone 5C from a Colombian power outlet

Instructions showing how to recharge your iPhone 5C from a Colombian power outlet using the Lightning Apple connector with a Type A power charger.

  1. If you want to power the iPhone 5C from the Colombian power outlet you will need a Type A USB power plug adapter [4] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5] (the cable is usually already included with your device).
  2. Firstly you'll need to plug in the Type A USB power plug adapter into the Colombian power outlet. You can recognise the plug outlet by 2 adjacent slots next to each other.
  3. Then connect one end of the USB Apple Lightning power cord into the USB mains charger and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPhone 5C. The iPhone 5C Lightning connector can be found at bottom of your iPhone 5C under the home button.
  4. Turn on the Colombian power outlet.
  5. The battery icon which you'll find in the top right hand corner of the iPhone 5C will display a charge icon to indicate that the phone is powering up which typically takes between 1-4 hours to fully recharge. [AD]
How to use a Type A power charger for recharging your iPhone 5C from a Colombian power outlet

How to use a Type B power charger for recharging your iPhone 5C from a Colombian power outlet

Using an Apple Lightning cable and a Type B USB adapter to charge the iPhone 5C from a Colombian power outlet.

  1. To power the iPhone 5C from the Colombian power outlet you'll need a Type B USB power plug adapter [7] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5], Apple normally include this cable with your iPhone 5C.
  2. First you'll need to plug in the Type B USB power plug adapter into the wall outlet. The plug outlet, technically called a Type B power outlet [6], is identified by 2 slots parallel to each other where the live and neutral plug outlet blades go with a semicircular hole below for the slightly longer ground pin.
  3. Plug in the USB end of the USB to Apple Lightning cable into the power charger and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPhone 5C. You can find the Lightning connector on the iPhone 5C situated at the bottom of your iPhone 5C.
  4. Switch on the Colombian power outlet.
  5. The battery icon which you'll find in the top right corner of your iPhone will display a charging icon to indicate that the iPhone is powering up, typically taking around 60-240 minutes to completely recharge to 100% capacity. [AD]
How to use a Type B power charger for recharging your iPhone 5C from a Colombian power outlet

See also

  1. Wikipedia - wikipedia.org page about Colombia
  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..