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iphone charger / adapter in Italy

Last time we traveled to Italy I used a Foreign Travel Adapter from Radio Shack, I had no problems charging my my Chi flat Iron. This time I READ the package & noticed it said it's designed to be used with Radio Shack voltage converter. Now I'm worried that it's unsafe to use on my expensive iphone without converter. What's the best & safest way to charge electronic devices??

Posted by
32173 posts

Carol, the "best & safest way to charge electronic devices" is with a Charger that's designed for "world operation from 100-240 VAC. If the Charger is ONLY designed for operation on 115 VAC, then a Voltage Converter must be used to "step down" the higher voltage used in Europe. For electronic devices, it's IMPORTANT to use a Transformer-style Voltage Converter rather than a solid-state model which can cause problems with these. If you need a Charger for your IPhone, have a look at * store.apple.com/ca/product/MB352LL/B?fnode=MTY1NDA0MQ&mco=MTY5MjMxNDg#overview * this model from Apple (cut & paste the link inside the asterisks). You'll need a PLUG ADAPTER appropriate to the countries you're travelling, but you can connect this small Charger DIRECTLY to the outlet with NO Voltage Converter. One other IMPORTANT point to mention is that it would be a good idea to turn OFF the data portion of your IPhone when you're in Europe, so that you don't come home to a HUGE BILL for data roaming. You might want to speak to AT&T about optional roaming plans which will minimize these costs to some extent. If you block the data portion of your phone, you can still use the Wi-Fi part (where this is available). Happy travels!

Posted by
500 posts

You do not need a voltage converter for any apple portable products. Just a plug adapter.

Posted by
1170 posts

No need for a power converter for Apple products. You will only need the plug adapter. Same thing for any other device utilizing a charger with a range of 100V-240V. Just don't leave it plugged in longer than you need to.

Posted by
842 posts

Carol, you have been given some excellent advice. I took my Iphone to the EU this June, and just used a plug adaptor to charge it each nite. (If you have a rental car, you can also charge it in the cigarette lighter plug using the exact same charger as home.) Like Ken says, shut off the data roaming, and just use the WiFi, and phone. If you want, you can contact AT&T and ask them to set up your phone calls (not data!)for their "low"? overseas roaming rate of $1.99/min, otherwise you will have a huge bill!Please note that every incoming message will incur that rate, even if you do not listen to the messages. It is a good idea to change the voicemail on your phone and tell people NOT to leave a message unless it is urgent or an emergency. Go to AT&T's web site and you will see that they do a great job explaining how to set up and use your phone overseas. If you have any further questions, call them, and they will patiently explain all of this to you.

Posted by
842 posts

My Iphone is unlocked and jailbroken, so I took my US SIM out, and put it in a cheap pre-paid EU SIM chip at an EU electronics store. This allowed me to use the phone for cheap inter-EU calls. I also could have gotten a chip that did calls AND DATA, but you really need someone who speaks excellent English to help you properly set up your phone for this. I still had problems with just phone calls. I did not understand the Italian messages on my voicemail, and the ones telling me that I had used up my minutes. I also brought my old AT&T RAZR, put my US SIM chip in it and used it as a back-up unit for calls from home. I had to be able to receive calls, at any time, from home, because my mother-in-law was not well. This worked well, but at $1.99 minute I still had a big phone bill when I got home. I had explained to AT&T my need to have the phone running because of my MIL's health, and they graciously adjusted my bill after I got home. I don't have any complaints about their service!

Posted by
16028 posts

Actually, international roaming with AT&T is $1.29 a minute for Italy (and most of Europe, I believe). If you sign up for their World Traveler Plan ($5.99 a month, pro-rated to days of use), it is $0.99 a minute. And as everyone has said, but it bears repeating, make SURE that "data" is turned off or you'll get a nasty surprise when you return home.