I'm visiting the United States from New Zealand, and my iPhone suddenly stopped charging. I initially thought the phone's Lightning port was damaged, so I had it cleaned or repaired at a mall kiosk. The technician demonstrated that it was charging afterward, but it still wouldn't charge when I returned to my accommodation. An American coworker tried her charger and the phone immediately started charging. My own Lightning cable still works with my iPad and backup phone, so I'm confused about whether the problem is the cable, charging brick, wall power, or the phone itself. Could the difference between New Zealand and US electricity be responsible, and should I ask the kiosk for a refund?
2 Answers
There aren’t separate New Zealand and American Lightning cable standards. The likely issue is the charging brick, not the cable. Check the small input label on your New Zealand adapter. It should say something like “100–240V, 50/60Hz.” If it only supports around 230V, it won’t work correctly with US 110–120V power. A simple plug-shape adapter changes the socket connection but does not convert the voltage.
Cables often fail near the Lightning plug after being bent or packed for travel. However, since your coworker’s complete charger works with your phone and your cable works with other devices, testing your cable with a known-good US charging brick is the best way to isolate the fault. Also make sure the replacement or original charger supports the required input voltage before using it in another country.
Try your cable with a different compatible charging brick or USB port while you’re in the US. If it works there, the original NZ brick is the part to replace or get refunded—not necessarily the phone repair.