One of the disappointments of the new iPad Pro was that all those lightning charge cables and accessories that I’d accumulated over the years immediately became useless. However, the move to USB-C meant that the iPad had a bit of a trick up its sleeve – charging. As you can see from the image above here it is charging my Apple Watch.
The iPad Pro can charge accessories such as your watch, iPhone etc. at a 7.5W charge rate – providing that you have the right cables. To do so requires a potentially expensive outlay in new USB-C to lightning and watch charge cables – currently £50 if you buy the official Apple variants.
But does it work? Well, yes it does and the charge speed isn’t too shabby either for on-the-go charging. In the time it has taken me to type this post my watch has added another 25%.
It is a useful tool in the charging kitbag but I don’t think that it is going to completely replace the need for a mobile battery as I certainly can’t get my iPad Pro into my pocket, something I frequently do when needing to charge my iPhone on the go. That said it is a useful stop-gap and the huge battery in the iPad does mean that you can afford to sacrifice some charge from it in order to keep your other kit topped up.