Charging the iPad Mini 4 when planning a trip to Panama

Using a Lightning Apple cable and a 2 pin Type A power adapter to recharge your iPad Mini 4 with a Panamanian power outlet and recharging the iPad Mini 4 using a Type B USB plug.

Panamanian power outlet

Differing combinations of frequencies and standards can often be confusing when planning on staying in another country if you've never been there before. These instructions have been specifically written to stop people worrying if they'll be able to charge their iPad Mini 4 when staying in Panama.When you are travelling to Panama the following useful instructions show how to charge your iPad Mini 4 by using their standard B or A type Panamanian 120 volt 60Hz power outlets. If the iPad Mini 4 charges slowly or does not power up when you are visiting Panama from another country check that it is compatible with a 110 volt power supply. Typically devices which come from a different country which use a higher voltage such as 240 volts can take longer to charge or won't power up, check that your iPad Mini 4 is dual-voltage (usually marked with 100-240 volts) else you may need to use an additional voltage converter to ensure proper use. These instructions assume that you are running Apple iOS 9 or greater on the iPad Mini 4.

Charging the iPad Mini 4 in Panama

Can you use the iPad Mini 4 in Panama?

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

What is the best power adapter for the iPad Mini 4 in Panama?

When travelling to more than one country then the best travel charger for Panama to buy is a multiple USB adapter which includes swappable plugs like a 4 port USB travel charger. There are two different types of power outlets that Panamanians use (B and A) and using a travel adapter like this will ensure that you are covered for type A. As these chargers come with interchangeable plugs and handle from 100 to 240 volts will mean you can travel to multiple countries in Europe, Asia, North America and Africa simply by changing the heads. If your iPad Mini 4 supports Fast Charge (please note not all USB devices can) then you'll benefit from faster charging times by using one of these types of travel chargers, plus additional support for more power hungry devices.

Unlike other adapters having a four port adapter will allow you to power more than one device simultaneously without needing to buy individual power adapters for your Panamanian trip. By only bringing a single international travel charger will keep the overall weight down, making it ideal to fold up and store in hand baggage as well as being convenient for charging your iPad Mini 4 at the airport or on your flight. Due to 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 phones, tablets and e-readers with just a single power outlet.

We recommend buying this type of versatile power adapter online; the travel charger illustrated here is the 4 Port USB Wall Charger which has been tested successfully with multiple USB devices in numerous foreign countries with good reliably.

Alternative travel adapter for Panama

The 4 port USB travel charger is the most compact option for travellers from around the world wanting to charge devices using USB, however for visitors also wishing to use their domestic plugs the following power converters provide larger but more versatile solutions. All 3 power strips offer surge protection which can be crucial when visiting regions with unreliable power supplies. These power converters come with interchangeable type C, I and G plugs which cover 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 option for travellers originating from America going to Panama using 3 pin type B plug sockets.
  • ORICO Traveling Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip - Likewise having 4 USB ports but only 2 AC power outlets the Orico travel adapter is also aimed at travellers from the US using type B plugs. This is a much 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 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 most travellers from around the world visiting Panama. [8] [AD]
What is the best power adapter for the iPad Mini 4 in Panama?

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

Using a Lightning Apple cable and a 2 pin Type A power adapter to recharge your iPad Mini 4 with a Panamanian power outlet.

  1. To charge the iPad Mini 4 from a Panamanian power outlet you'll need to buy a Type A USB power plug adapter [4] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5] (Apple usually include this USB cable when you buy the iPad Mini 4).
  2. Begin the process by plugging the Type A USB power plug adapter into the power outlet. You can identify the power supply by the two slots adjacent to each other.
  3. Plug in one end of the USB to Apple Lightning cable into the mains USB charger and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPad Mini 4. The iPad Mini 4 lightning connector can be found at the bottom of the iPad Mini 4.
  4. Switch on the Panamanian power outlet.
  5. The battery icon which 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 recharging which should take roughly 1 - 4.5 hours to recharge. [AD]
Powering the iPad Mini 4 with a Panamanian power outlet by using a 2 pinned Type A USB adapter

Charging the iPad Mini 4 from a Panamanian power outlet by using a 3 pinned Type B USB adapter

Using the USB Lightning Apple cable and a Type B USB charger to charge your iPad Mini 4 with a Panamanian power outlet.

  1. If you want to charge the iPad Mini 4 from a Panamanian power outlet you'll need to buy a Type B USB power plug adapter [7] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5] (usually supplied with your iPad Mini 4).
  2. Start by plugging the Type B USB power plug adapter into the Panamanian power outlet. You can recognise this plug supply by the 2 thin slots parallel to each other where the short two plug outlet blades sit with a hole below for the slightly long grounded pin.
  3. Plug in one end of the Apple 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 Panamanian 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 charge icon to indicate that the iPad is powering up and takes around one to five and a half hours to completely recharge to full capacity. [AD]
Charging the iPad Mini 4 from a Panamanian power outlet by using a 3 pinned Type B USB adapter

See also

  1. Wikipedia - Wikipedia.org web page about Panama
  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. 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..