A New iPad Mini user with a battery question and a protective case question

[Mohun]

I'm really new. I purchased my Mini yesterday and I'm trying to find my way around it. The Apple Store "synched" the Mini's email component with my email on my PC (I haven't made the big jump to send this from my Mini, so this is a PC transmission).

Perhaps these are the simplest questions of all:


1. I'm used to electronic devices indicating, almost always with a green light or yellow light, the fact that they are charging (my cameras, my one cell phone, etc). I've attached the Apple adaptor cord to the USB slot in the charger, the charger into an AC outlet, and the mini USB-type connector into the iPad Mini. No light anywhere on the Mini seems to light up but the display is now on with its initial sets of "apps." Am I charging the Mini? If so, how will I be able to tell when it's fully charged? (The Apple Store guy said it should take about 8 hours.)

2, I purchased from the Apple Store a fairly nice little padded case to hold the Mini. The Mini is every bit as slippery as, for example, Consumer Reports said it was and I feel a bit more comforatble keeping it in the case as long as the Mini is fully functional. Am I not seeing a charging light because the Mini is in the case? Is it okay to keep the Mini in the case all the time?

This is a big conceptual and functional jump (or at least a supplement) for me and my first glance at the PDF manual has not helped much with these questions.

 

[AQ_OC]

1) the mini has a lightning port, so you must use the cable that came with it, which has a lightning connector on one end and a normal USB connector on the other. Mini-USB is not involved.
2) there is no external led light on an iPad, the charging indicator is on the screen.

 

[MattIM]

Hello Mohun, welcome to the forum. The only indicator is the battery status on the upper left corner of your screen. Following are two screen shots, the first is the battery indicator unplugged, the second is with the iPad plugged in.

You can keep the iPad in its case plugged in or not.

 

[Mohun]

Thanks, AQ_OC and MattlM,

The " lightning port" is part of the new Apple language I'll be learning. I seem to remeber that when I briefly turned on the Mini with its initial charge last evening, what was probably the battery indicator appeared "white" which may have signified empty or very little charge left. It's not particularly intuitive since some of my cameras show an "empty" symbol of a battery when full and vice versa. There seem to be few standard protocols in the industry.

I see in the screen shots references to the "battery indicator unplugged" and "battery indicator plugged in". Since I'm looking for the battery indicator itself, not whether it's plugged in or not, how can I deduce battery "fullness" status from this icon?

Thanks again.

 

[KevinJS]

If you go to Settings/General/Usage you can turn on Battery Percentage. This will tell you how much charge is left in your battery. The percentage will appear next to the battery indicator.

 

[Squirrel71]

If the battery was white then you have a full charge. The iPads have been coming out of the box almost fully charged.

 

[KevinJS]

Kid proof. iPad 2 and iPad mini in Otterbox cases.

 

[iJamesH]

Kid proof. iPad 2 and iPad mini in Otterbox cases.



View attachment 33572

I can speak for the Otterbox. I have one for the iPad 3 and it's one of the best cases for protection.

 

[Joycejy]

Great answer, it's what i'm looking for! Recent days i'm worry about this questions.