Did I damage my iPad's USB port, by using an iPhone 4 USB cable?

[XciteMe]

I got an iPhone 4 the day after launch, and just recently picked up an iPad.

Instead of unpacking the USB cable that came included w/ the iPad, I just used the one I got with my iPhone 4. They LOOK identical but I'm not sure - both have the shorter dock connecter part (instead of the longer, fatter ones from before).

I noticed the iPhone 4 USB was VERY hard to insert into the iPad firmly... I had to really push and force it. It connected OK, but not very easily. So I went ahead and used the new USB cable that came w/ the iPad, and it fit nice and easy! No force necessary, it just glided into the iPad.

My question is, are the Apple USB cables not interchangeable with other devices? Was I not supposed to plug the iPhone 4 USB cable into the iPad? I really hope I didn't damage my USB port on my iPad.

What gives?

 

[rsmart22]

They are interchangeable I use both on a daily basis

 

[Purpleorchid]

There is an "up" side. Perhaps you forced it in upside down? The cables from all the devices and generations are interchangeable and all have an "up" side. "Up" is the side of the plug that has the symbol printed on it (looks like a rectangle with a line in it). For all devices (iPod, iPod Nano, iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad, etc), that printed side should be facing the same way as the front of the device...otherwise it's in upside down (which does take some force to do).

 

[XciteMe]

^ I thought that's what I was doing wrong, but I did have the symbol pointing up. It DID connect... I just had to use force.

 

[Sonny Burnett]

The cables are all the same.

 

[cmalinowski]

^ I thought that's what I was doing wrong, but I did have the symbol pointing up. It DID connect... I just had to use force.

Did you try the iphone cable again? Did it require the same force or did it fit nicely the second time like the other cable?

Just checking to see if you might have a cable or connector issue. A lot of my cables fit slightly differently (not all are official Apple products), but not to the point of requiring force.

I wouldn't worry too much about it unless it was real force.

Chris