Charging the iPhone 6 Plus when planning a trip to China

Instructions showing how to recharge your iPhone 6 Plus with a Chinese power outlet using a Lightning connector with a two pin Type A power adapter, how to power the iPhone 6 Plus using a two pin Europlug Type C power adapter and how to power the iPhone 6 Plus using a 3 pin Type I power adapter

Chinese power outlet

If you are organizing to travel it's useful to know if you can use any common electronics such as mobile phones and cameras that you'll be bringing along with you. By not knowing which plug socket is being used you are more likely to bring the wrong adaptor, therefore leaving you needing to buy a potentially overpriced adaptor when you need it which might not be compatible and cause problems with your iPhone 6 Plus. Complicated combinations of voltages and sockets can often be confusing when planning on staying in another country for the first time traveller. The following useful guide will show exactly what you'll need to power your iPhone 6 Plus when staying in China using the types I, A or C 220 volt 50Hz plug outlets, most Chinese will use the Type I power outlets. When visiting China from a different country please check the iPhone 6 Plus can be used with a 240 volt supply. If your iPhone 6 Plus was purchased in a country which uses a lower voltage such as 120 volts double check the device is dual-voltage (marked with 100-240 volts) else you may need to use an additional voltage converter to stop the device from being damaged when charging it. These instructions assume you are running Apple iOS 7 or greater on the iPhone 6 Plus.

Charging the iPhone 6 Plus in China

Can you use the iPhone 6 Plus in China?

You can use the iPhone 6 Plus in China by using a power adaptor.

What is the best power adapter for the iPhone 6 Plus in China?

When travelling with more than just your iPhone 6 Plus the best international travel adapter for China is a multiple USB port charger which includes compatible plugs like a 4 port USB travel charger. Chinese use three different standards of wall outlets (types I, A and C) and using a travel adapter like this will ensure that you are covered for both types A and C. As these chargers come with interchangeable pins and can handle 100 volts - 240 volts will mean you can travel to multiple countries around the world just by switching the supplied plugs over. If your type of iPhone 6 Plus is compatible with Fast Charge then you'll benefit from much quicker recharging times with one of these types of travel chargers, plus additional support for more power demanding devices.

This means you can charge multiple devices simultaneously without needing to buy individual travel chargers. By only packing a single lightweight USB travel charger will help keep the overall weight down, making it ideal to fold up and store in hand baggage and on hand for recharging your iPhone 6 Plus at an airport or on the flight. Due to their space saving flexibility these types of power adapters can be used at home not just abroad so when you’re not on holiday they can be used under your bedside table charging multiple smartphones and tablets with just a single power outlet.

We recommend buying an adaptable travel charger of this nature at your preferred electronics retailer. The travel charger illustrated below is the 4 Port USB Wall Charger which has been successfully tested for powering multiple USB devices in numerous countries around the world on a daily basis.

Alternative travel adapter for China

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 6 Plus, but for those also wanting to use their domestic plugs the following power strips provide larger but more versatile solutions. All 3 power strips offer surge protection which can be crucial when visiting regions with unreliable or unstable power grids. These power converters come with interchangeable type C, I and G plugs which cover both 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 compact option for travellers originating from North America visiting China.
  • ORICO Traveling Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip - Similarly having 4 USB ports but only 2 AC power outlets the Orico is also aimed at travellers from the US using type B plugs. This is a cheaper alternative to the BESTEK with just one less AC outlet at almost half price.
  • BESTEK International USB Travel Power Strip - This power strip has 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 a majority of travellers from around the world visiting China. [10] [AD]
What is the best power adapter for the iPhone 6 Plus in China?

How to use a Type A power charger for charging your iPhone 6 Plus from a Chinese power outlet

Instructions showing how to recharge your iPhone 6 Plus with a Chinese power outlet using a Lightning connector with a two pin Type A power adapter.

  1. If you want to power your iPhone 6 Plus from a Chinese power outlet you'll need a Type A USB power plug adapter [4] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5], typically supplied with the device by Apple.
  2. Start by plugging the Type A USB power plug adapter into the wall supply. This ungrounded plug supply, technically called the Type A power outlet [3], is identified by the 2 thin slots next to each other where the twin plug outlet blades slide into.
  3. Plug in one end of the USB to Apple Lightning cable into the USB power adapter and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPhone 6 Plus. You can find the Lightning connector on the iPhone 6 Plus found at the bottom of the iPhone 6 Plus.
  4. Turn on the Chinese power outlet.
  5. The battery icon that you'll find in the top right hand corner of your iPhone 6 Plus screen will display a charging icon to indicate that the phone is recharging which takes roughly 1 - 4 hours to recharge. [AD]
How to use a Type A power charger for charging your iPhone 6 Plus from a Chinese power outlet

How to use a Europlug Type C power charger for charging your iPhone 6 Plus from a Chinese power outlet

Using a Lightning connector and a two pin Type C USB charger to charge your iPhone 6 Plus with a Chinese power outlet.

  1. If you want to power your iPhone 6 Plus from a Chinese power outlet you'll need a Type C USB power plug adapter [7] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5], typically included with the device by Apple.
  2. Start the process by plugging the Type C USB power plug adapter into the wall supply. This ungrounded plug supply (sometimes called a Type C power outlet [6]) is identified by the 2 round holes next to each other.
  3. Plug in one end of the USB to Apple Lightning cable into the USB power adapter and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPhone 6 Plus. You can find the Lightning connector on the iPhone 6 Plus found at the bottom of the iPhone 6 Plus.
  4. Turn on the Chinese power outlet.
  5. The battery icon that you'll find in the top right hand corner of your iPhone 6 Plus screen will display a charging icon to indicate that the phone is charging which should take roughly 1 - 4 hours to recharge. [AD]
How to use a Europlug Type C power charger for charging your iPhone 6 Plus from a Chinese power outlet

How to use a Type I power charger for recharging your iPhone 6 Plus from a Chinese power outlet

Using the USB Lightning Apple cable and a 3 pin Type I power adapter to recharge your iPhone 6 Plus with a Chinese power outlet.

  1. In order to supply power to the iPhone 6 Plus using the Chinese power outlet you will need to use a Type I USB power plug adapter [9] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5], usually supplied with your iPhone 6 Plus.
  2. Begin the process by plugging the Type I USB power plug adapter into the Chinese power outlet. This power supply (technically called the Type I power outlet [8]) can be recognised by 3 slots for the live, neutral and earth. Please be aware that the neutral and live pins are reversed compared to Argentinian power outlets, please check that your Type I travel adaptor is compatible in China.
  3. Then connect the USB end of the USB Lightning cable into the bottom of the USB charger and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPhone 6 Plus. The iPhone 6 Plus Lightning connector can be found at bottom of the iPhone 6 Plus under the home button.
  4. Switch on the Chinese power outlet.
  5. The battery icon which appears in the top right corner of the phone will display a charge icon to indicate that the iPhone 6 Plus is powering up taking roughly one to four hours to fully recharge to full capacity. [AD]
How to use a Type I power charger for recharging your iPhone 6 Plus from a Chinese power outlet

See also

  1. Wikipedia - Wikipedia.org web page about China
  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 C power outlet
  7. Type C USB power plug adapter - Conforming to Europlug specifications, the Type C USB power plug adapter incorporates two 4 mm rounded pins spaced 19 mm apart. It is engineered to adapt electrical outlets commonly found in Europe, converting them to USB-compatible charging ports..
  8. iec.ch - Type I power outlet
  9. 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.
  10. 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..