Charging the iPad Mini 4 when planning a trip to American Samoa

A guide showing how to power the iPad Mini 4 from an American Samoan power outlet with the Apple USB Lightning connector with a Type A USB charger, charging the iPad Mini 4 using a Type B USB charger and charging the iPad Mini 4 using a Schuko Type F USB charger

American Samoan power outlet

Different standards and plug types can often be daunting when planning on travelling to a foreign country, especially if you've never been there before. This guide has been specifically written to prevent you worrying if you'll be able to charge your iPad Mini 4 when staying in American Samoa.These step by step instructions shows exactly what you'll need to charge your iPad Mini 4 when travelling to American Samoa using the Type I, A, B or F 120 volt 60Hz plug outlets, a majority of American Samoans will use the Type I power outlets. If your iPad Mini 4 slowly recharges or doesn't turn on when travelling to American Samoa from a different country then check that it is compatible with a 110 volt power supply. Devices which originated from a different country which use a higher voltage such as 240 volts either take longer to charge or won't turn on, so check the device is a dual voltage device (marked with a 100-240 volt notation) else you may need to use an additional voltage converter to ensure proper use. These instructions assume you are running Apple iOS 9 or greater on the iPad Mini 4.

Charging the iPad Mini 4 in American Samoa

Can you use the iPad Mini 4 in American Samoa?

You can use the iPad Mini 4 in American Samoa by using a power adaptor.

What is the best travel charger for recharging the iPad Mini 4 in American Samoa?

If you are travelling to more than one country or bringing more than your iPad Mini 4 then the best travel charger for American Samoa to buy is a multiple USB adapter which includes swappable plugs such as a 4 port USB travel charger. There are four types of wall outlets that American Samoans use (I, A, B and F) and bringing this ensures that you are covered for type A.

As these chargers come with interchangeable pins and can handle 100 volts - 240 volts it makes them ideal for over 100 countries in Europe, Asia, North America and Africa just by switching the supplied plugs over. If your type of iPad Mini 4 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 certain power hungry devices.

Unlike other adapters having a four port adapter will allow you to power more than one device at once without needing to bring seperate travel chargers on your trip or using up additional power sockets. Because you are only needing a single USB travel charger will keep the weight and size down, making it perfect to store in hand luggage while travelling. Because of their versatility these types of chargers can be used when back at home so when you’re not travelling they can be used under your bedside table charging multiple tablets, phones and e-readers with just a single power outlet.

For those travelling to American Samoa we suggest searching for a multipurpose travel charger of this nature at your preferred electronics retailer. The multipurpose power adapter illustrated here 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 American Samoa

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 iPad Mini 4, 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 for visitors of regions with unreliable power supplies. These power converters come with interchangeable type C, I and G plugs which cover both American Samoa 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 American Samoa using type B American 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 originating from America using type B plugs and offers the same set of features as the BESTEK with only 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 American Samoa. [12] [AD]
What is the best travel charger for recharging the iPad Mini 4 in American Samoa?

Powering the iPad Mini 4 with an American Samoan power outlet by using a 2 pinned Type A USB adapter

A guide showing how to power the iPad Mini 4 from an American Samoan power outlet with the Apple USB Lightning connector with a Type A USB charger.

  1. If you want to power your iPad Mini 4 using the American Samoan power outlet you will need to use a Type A USB power plug adapter [4] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5] - usually supplied with your iPad Mini 4.
  2. Start by taking the Type A USB power plug adapter and plugging it into the wall supply. This ungrounded plug supply (sometimes called the Type A power outlet [3]) is identified by the two adjacent slots for live and neutral blades.
  3. Then connect the USB end of the Lightning cable into the bottom of the USB charger and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPad Mini 4. The iPad Mini 4 lightning connector is found at the base of the iPad Mini 4.
  4. Turn on the American Samoan power outlet.
  5. The battery icon that you'll find in the top right hand corner of your iPad Mini 4 screen will display a charging icon to indicate that the tablet is charging which should take roughly 1 - 4.5 hours to recharge. [AD]
Powering the iPad Mini 4 with an American Samoan power outlet by using a 2 pinned Type A USB adapter

Powering the iPad Mini 4 with an American Samoan power outlet by using a 3 pinned Type B USB adapter

Instructions showing you how to power the iPad Mini 4 from an American Samoan power outlet with a Lightning connector with a Type B USB charger.

  1. To charge your iPad Mini 4 from the American Samoan power outlet you will need to buy a Type B USB power plug adapter [7] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5] - typically supplied with your iPad Mini 4.
  2. Begin the process by plugging the Type B USB power plug adapter into the power supply. You can recognise this plug supply by the two slots next to each other for live and neutral blades with a single semicircle hole below for the earth pin.
  3. Then connect the USB end of the USB Lightning cable into the bottom of the USB power adapter and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPad Mini 4. The iPad Mini 4 lightning connector is situated at the base of the iPad Mini 4.
  4. Turn on the American Samoan power outlet.
  5. The battery icon that you'll find in the top right hand corner of your iPad screen will display a charge icon to indicate that the iPad is charging and takes around 1-4.5 hours to recharge. [AD]
Powering the iPad Mini 4 with an American Samoan power outlet by using a 3 pinned Type B USB adapter

How to use a Type F power charger for recharging your iPad Mini 4 from an American Samoan power outlet

Instructions showing you how to power the iPad Mini 4 from an American Samoan power outlet with a Lightning connector with a Schuko Type F power adapter.

  1. In order to power your iPad Mini 4 from an American Samoan power outlet you'll need a Type F USB power plug adapter [9] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5] (Apple will normally supply the cable with the iPad Mini 4).
  2. Insert the Type F USB power plug adapter in the American Samoan power outlet. This recessed round plug supply (sometimes called the Schuko outlet) can be recognised by the two circular holes 19 mm apart from each other where the twin plug outlet pins slide into and a pair of metal grounding clips above and below.
  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 iPad Mini 4. The iPad Mini 4 lightning connector is found at the bottom of the iPad Mini 4.
  4. Switch on the American Samoan power outlet.
  5. The battery icon which appears in the top right corner of the tablet will display a charge icon to indicate that the iPad Mini 4 is charging which typically takes roughly 60 to 300 minutes to fully recharge to full capacity. [AD]
How to use a Type F power charger for recharging your iPad Mini 4 from an American Samoan power outlet

Powering the iPad Mini 4 with an American Samoan power outlet by using a 3 pinned Type I USB adapter

Instructions showing you how to power the iPad Mini 4 from an American Samoan power outlet with a Lightning connector with a Type I USB charger.

  1. To charge the iPad Mini 4 from an American Samoan power outlet you'll need to buy a Type I USB power plug adapter [11] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5] - Apple should normally supply the cable with the iPad Mini 4.
  2. Begin the process by plugging the Type I USB power plug adapter into the American Samoan power outlet. You can identify this power supply by the three slots forming an upside-down triangular shape with the top two slots sloping upwards for the live, neutral and ground blades.
  3. Then connect the USB end of the USB Lightning cable into the bottom of the USB power adapter and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPad Mini 4. The iPad Mini 4 lightning connector is situated at the base of the iPad Mini 4.
  4. Turn on the American Samoan power outlet.
  5. The battery icon that you'll find in the top right hand corner of your iPad Mini 4 screen will display a charging icon to indicate that the iPad is charging taking around 1-4.5 hours to recharge. [AD]
Powering the iPad Mini 4 with an American Samoan power outlet by using a 3 pinned Type I USB adapter

See also

  1. Wikipedia - Wikipedia entry about American Samoa
  2. Apple - iPad Mini 4 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. iec.ch - Type F power outlet
  9. Type F USB power plug adapter - Compliant with Europlugs and CEE 7/17 specifications, the Type F or Schuko adapter is engineered to adapt German electrical power outlets into USB-compatible ports..
  10. iec.ch - Type I power outlet
  11. 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.
  12. 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..