Charging the iPhone 5S when planning a trip to England

Using a Lightning connector with a Type G USB charger to charge your iPhone 5S with a British power outlet.

British power outlet

If you are packing for a holiday to England it can often be helpful to know in advance if you'll be able to power all your vital devices like cell phones or tablets when you reach your hotel. By not knowing which power socket to expect you could pack the wrong power charger, leaving you having to purchase a potentially expensive charger when you need to recharge which might not be compatible and cause problems with your iPhone 5S. Various combinations of region codes and voltages can all lead to confusion when planning to travel to a new country, especially if you've never been there before. With only a handful of different types of plug sockets used throughout the world this guide tells you exactly what to pick up in advance to power your iPhone 5S . These instructions have been specifically written to prevent you worrying if you'll be able to charge your iPhone 5S when travelling abroad.This page is a step by step guide which shows exactly what you'll need to charge your iPhone 5S in England using a 230 volt 50Hz Type G plug outlet, the Britons will use a BS 1363 13 amp plug for power outlets. Most power changes regionally therefore we suggest reading the Europe page for a complete list of regions and countries. When travelling to England from a different country please check the iPhone 5S can be used with a 240 volt supply. If your iPhone 5S was purchased in a country which uses a lower voltage such as 110 volts check the device is dual voltage (indicated by 100-240 volts) otherwise you may need to use an additional transformer to prevent the device from overheating during charging. If you're planning to stay in a tourist destination such as London or Bath we also suggest reading the Wikipedia.org web page about England [1] for more details. These instructions assume that you have installed Apple iOS 7 or greater on the iPhone 5S.

Charging the iPhone 5S in England

Can you use the iPhone 5S in England?

You can use the iPhone 5S in England by using a power adaptor.

What is the best travel charger for recharging the iPhone 5S in England?

If you are travelling with more than your iPhone 5S or visiting more than one country the best international travel adapter for England is a multiple USB port charger which includes compatible plugs like a 4 port USB travel charger.

Because these types of chargers are supplied with interchangeable plugs and handle from 100 to 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 5S is compatible with Fast Charge (please note not all USB devices can) then you'll benefit from faster charging times by using one of these USB power adapters along with compatibility with certain power hungry devices.

This means you can charge multiple devices simultaneously without needing to buy individual power adapters for your British trip. Only packing a single lightweight travel charger will keep the weight and size down, making it perfect to store in hand luggage while travelling as well as being convenient for charging your iPhone 5S at the airport or on the flight. Due to their space saving flexibility these types of travel 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 tablets, phones and e-readers without using up an additional plug socket.

We recommend buying an adaptable travel charger of this nature at your preferred electronics retailer. The multipurpose power adapter illustrated is the 4 Port USB Wall Charger which has been tested successfully with multiple USB devices in numerous foreign countries.

Alternative travel adapter for England

The 4 port USB travel charger is the most compact option for travellers from any country who only have USB devices such as the iPhone 5S, 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 to prevent damage to any connected appliances. These travel adapters are supplied with interchangeable type C, I and G plugs covering Continental Europe, America, Australia, United Kingdom, Japan, China and over 150 countries around the world:

  • BESTEK Portable International Travel Voltage Converter - The BESTEK international travel adaptor has 4 USB charging ports with 3 AC power outlets and is the most popular portable power adapter for travellers originating from North America visiting England.
  • 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 gives almost the same functionality as the BESTEK with 1 less AC outlet for almost half the price.
  • BESTEK International USB Travel Power Strip - This power strip has just 2 AC outlets but offers a more 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 perfect for most travellers from around the world visiting England. [6] [AD]
What is the best travel charger for recharging the iPhone 5S in England?

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

Using a Lightning connector with a Type G USB charger to recharge your iPhone 5S with a British power outlet.

  1. To charge the iPhone 5S from a British power outlet you'll need a Type G USB power plug adapter [4] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5] - this USB cable is normally already included with the device by Apple.
  2. Insert the Type G USB power plug adapter in the British power outlet. You can recognise this power supply by the three rectangular slots containing shutters in a triangular configuration for live, neutral and earth.
  3. Plug in one end of the USB Lightning cable into the bottom of the USB charger 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 British power outlet.
  5. The battery icon that you'll find in the top right hand corner of your iPhone 5S screen will display a charging icon to indicate that the phone is recharging, typically taking between 60 to 240 minutes to fully recharge to full capacity. [AD]
Powering the iPhone 5S with a British power outlet by using a 3 pinned Type G USB adapter

See also

  1. Wikipedia - Wikipedia.org web page about England
  2. Apple - official iPhone user guide
  3. iec.ch - Type G power outlet
  4. Type G USB power plug adapter - Suitable for use in England, Ireland, and Scotland, a grounded three pin Type G adapter turns UK electrical power outlets into USB ports for reliable 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. 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..