iPad 2 Charging Situation Worse than Original iPad

As I documented how to fix in another article, the iPad and iPhone 4 charging issues have more to do with the cable than anything. I first noticed this when I had my iPad plugged in while using it and noticed the battery charged percent was slowly dropping. This problem is made a bit worse by the new iPad 2. While Apple claims that the battery life is the same, they only compare it for watching video obtained and optimized via the iTunes store. The new more powerful CPU is a bit more power hungry and background (sort of) apps eat up battery faster.

It still has plenty of battery, so it is not an issue with how long you can use it. The issue is in how long it takes to recharge. The strangeness of Apple that provides and ultra efficient 10 watt power adapter and a cable that is incapable of delivering 10 watts under most conditions continues to baffle me. The really good news is that the USB charging 'hack' via drivers works with iPad 1 and iPad 2 so your PC can charge the iPad while you are using it. It doesn't work with my Samsung Galaxy Tab, however, which is annoying, but that is for another article.

So whether you are using the Apple supplied power brick or a computer USB port, you can increase your charging efficiency ( decrease time ) by getting a better cable with thicker wires for the power portion.  Oh, it also means you can use a longer cable so you can more easily use it while you are charging.