Belkin's Auto-Tracking Stand Pro is not your typical wireless chargeryes, there is magsafe baked inSo you can easily and safely connect a compatible iPhone to the stand for charging. But it is also one of the few accessories equipped dockkit-An Apple software framework that allows the iPhone's camera to work in conjunction with a motorized stand to seamlessly track your face and keep it in frame.
With Belkin's 360-degree rotating stand, you can use the front or rear camera on iPhone to automatically track your face and body movements. It has a motorized 90-degree auto-tilt that adjusts the angle of your device (slightly up or down) during a video call. The built-in battery means you don't need to use it tethered to a nearby outlet.
It is expensive and not for everyone. But anyone who constantly faces FaceTimes while doing hand jobs or cooking might find it useful – more so than the built-in center stage functionality. In Apple's iPad And macbookWhich tracks you and keeps you in the frame to a limited extent. Or, you know, if you're a budding TikToker shooting videos at home.
seamless setup
Belkin's DockKit Charger is heavier than standard magsafe wireless chargerThere's a MagSafe charging pad at the top, which can charge your iPhone wirelessly at up to 15W. It's attached to a 90-degree rotating hinge that automatically tilts up or down depending on your movements – useful for keeping you in frame during video calls.
You can hold your phone in portrait or landscape mode; the latter will trigger smart display modefirst introduced ios 17When placed on any wireless charger in landscape orientation it turns your iPhone into a smart display of sorts – with interactive widgets, photos from your library, and a big clock.
Then there's the base, which has a 360-degree rotating hinge. There's a button on the front to activate and deactivate motion tracking, and there's a USB-C port on the back for when you need to charge the stand's built-in battery or power the entire system. There are three LEDs, one above the button and two behind.
Photograph: Brenda Stolyar
The front one mimics one of the rear LEDs so you can always diagnose the situation even if you're not directly in front of the base. It cycles between white, green, and amber, either steady or flashing, indicating various things such as whether motion tracking is disabled or the internal battery is low. The third LED above the USB-C port relates to power and cycles between white and amber. It can be hard to remember what all these conditions mean, but Belkin has put A guide on its website for referenceSurely there is a better way to disseminate all this information.