How to charge the iPhone in Puerto Rico

Instructions showing you how to recharge your iPhone with a Puerto Rican power outlet with a USB 30 pin Apple cable and a three pinned Type A power charger and recharging the iPhone using a three pinned Type B power charger.

Puerto Rican power outlet

Different combinations of region codes and plug types can often lead to confusion when planning on travelling to another country, especially to the first time traveller. This page is a useful guide demonstrating how to charge your iPhone when you are in Puerto Rico using their standard types B or A 120 volt 60Hz plug outlets, you'll find a majority of Puerto Ricans will use Type B plugs in their power outlets. If the iPhone charges slowly or does not power up when travelling to Puerto Rico from a different country please 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 may take longer to charge or won't turn on, check that your device is a dual voltage device (usually indicated by 100-240 volts) else you may need to use an additional power converter to ensure proper use. If you plan on visiting destinations like San Juan or Arecibo read the Puerto Rico page on Wikipedia.org [1] for more indepth details on travelling to the location.

This page details the iPhone 1st generation, the original iPhone is missing some features which have since been introduced to more recent iPhones. Visit the Apple category page for the full range of Apple iPhones. These instructions assume you are running Apple iOS 3 or greater on the iPhone.

Charging the iPhone in Puerto Rico

Can the iPhone be used in Puerto Rico?

Yes, you can use the iPhone in Puerto Rico.

What is the best power charger for recharging the iPhone in Puerto Rico?

When travelling to multiple countries or bringing more than just your iPhone the best international travel charger for Puerto Rico to buy is a multiple USB port charger which includes swappable plugs such as a 4 port USB travel charger. There are two different types of wall outlets in Puerto Rico (types B and A) and bringing this ensures that you are covered for type A. As these types of chargers are supplied with interchangeable plugs and can handle 100 to 240 volts it makes them ideal for multiple countries around the world simply by changing the included plugs. If your iPhone is compatible with Fast Charge (not all USB devices will) then you'll benefit from quicker recharging times by using one of these travel chargers along with additional support for certain power hungry devices. Unlike other travel adapters this means you can recharge multiple devices at once without needing to bring multiple power chargers on your Puerto Rican trip or occupying additional wall sockets. Only needing to bring a single travel charger will also keep the weight down, making it ideal to store in hand baggage. Because of their space saving flexibility these types of travel chargers can be used when you return home not just abroad so when you’re not travelling they can be used under your bedside table charging multiple phones and tablets using just a single wall outlet.

If you travel to Puerto Rico we recommend buying an adaptable travel adapter similar to this at your preferred electronics retailer; the multipurpose power charger illustrated below is the 4 Port USB Wall Charger which has been successfully tested for charging multiple USB devices in numerous countries with good reliably.

Alternative travel adapter for Puerto Rico

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 those also wanting to use their domestic plugs the following power adapters provide larger but more versatile solutions. All three power converters offer surge protection which can be useful for travellers to counties with unreliable or unstable power grids to prevent damage to any connected devices from voltage spikes. These travel adapters come with interchangeable type C, I and G plugs covering both Puerto Rico and over 150 destinations:

  • BESTEK Portable International Travel Voltage Converter - The BESTEK international travel adaptor has 4 USB charging ports with 3 AC power outlets and is the best selling compact power adapter for travellers originating from North America going to Puerto Rico using type B US plug sockets.
  • ORICO Traveling Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip - Also having 4 USB ports but only 2 AC power outlets the Orico travel adapter is also aimed at travellers from America using type B plugs. This gives practically 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 a generous 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 wide range of travellers from around the world visiting Puerto Rico. [8] [AD]
What is the best power charger for recharging the iPhone in Puerto Rico?

Powering the iPhone with a Puerto Rican power outlet by using a 2 pinned Type A USB adapter

Using the USB 30-pin Apple connector with a two pin Type A USB charger to recharge the iPhone from a Puerto Rican power outlet.

  1. If you want to supply power to your iPhone from a Puerto Rican power outlet you will need to use a Type A USB power plug adapter [4] and a USB to Apple 30 pin cable [5] - typically already included with your iPhone by Apple.
  2. Begin the process by taking the Type A USB power plug adapter and plugging it into the power outlet. You can recognise the wall outlet by the 2 thin slots adjacent to each other for live and neutral.
  3. Plug in one end of the Apple 30 pin USB cable into the USB power adapter and the other end into the dock connector on the iPhone. The iPhone dock connector is found at bottom of the iPhone.
  4. Switch on the Puerto Rican power outlet.
  5. The battery icon which you'll find in the top right hand corner of the phone will display a charging icon to indicate that the phone is charging and takes roughly 1 to 4 hours to fully recharge. [AD]
Powering the iPhone with a Puerto Rican power outlet by using a 2 pinned Type A USB adapter

Charging the iPhone from a Puerto Rican power outlet by using a 3 pinned Type B USB adapter

Instructions showing you how to recharge your iPhone with a Puerto Rican power outlet with a USB 30 pin Apple cable and a three pinned Type B power charger.

  1. In order to supply power to your iPhone from a Puerto Rican power outlet you will need to buy a Type B USB power plug adapter [7] and a USB to Apple 30 pin cable [5] (usually already included with the iPhone).
  2. Firstly plug in the Type B USB power plug adapter in the power supply. The plug supply (known as the Type B power outlet [6]) can be recognised by the two slots next to each other where the short two blades go with a hole below for the longer grounded pin.
  3. Then connect one end of the USB to Apple 30 pin cable into the bottom of the USB adapter and the other end into the dock connector on the iPhone. The iPhone dock connector is found at bottom of the iPhone.
  4. Turn on the Puerto Rican power outlet.
  5. The battery icon that you'll find in the top right corner of the iPhone screen will display a charge icon to indicate that the iPhone is charging, typically taking roughly 60 to 240 minutes to completely recharge. [AD]
Charging the iPhone from a Puerto Rican power outlet by using a 3 pinned Type B USB adapter

See also

  1. Wikipedia - Puerto Rico page on Wikipedia.org
  2. Apple - the original iPhone product manual
  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 30 pin cable - This connects compatible iPhones, iPods and iPads to a USB port for charging, syncing and playing music.
  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..