The Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro might not be the most inventive name for a product but it does describe exactly what it is. This iPhone stand and charger features a ‘made for MagSafe’ connection, to attach the phone magnetically to the circular plate and charge, much like the Belkin bedside chargers.
The difference with this stand is that the whole unit rotates and tilts to allow the phone to track your face and keep you in shot, whether using the front or rear camera. It’s a handy device for anyone who regularly uses their iPhone for video calls, but also for those looking to become a TikTok star, as it can mount on a tripod and run off a battery.
While this is not the first face tracking stand – and costing £179 / $180 it’s by no means the cheapest – there are plenty of reasons why this Belkin model is worth considering.
Features and design
As stands go, the Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro is simple and classy, following a similar design to many of the company’s static iPhone stands. A circular pad sits at the top, providing MagSafe attachment to compatible iPhone models to hold the device in place. The base however is much chunkier than even other gimbal devices. This houses the dual motors, allowing for 360-degree horizontal and 90-degree vertical movement, premium bearings for smooth and silent movement and a rechargeable battery giving the unit up to five hours of operation.
To charge the unit, there is a USB-C cable and plug included in the box. While connected to a power source via the cable, it will also charge the connected iPhone on the stand at up to 15W, so you can use this to replace your regular charging stand.
What is really impressive about this device is how easily it connects. The Belkin Auto-tracking Stand Pro features Apple’s DockKit, which allows it to connect to the iPhone without the need for a dedicated app. You simply tap your phone on the base of the stand and the pairing starts. This takes just under a minute the first time you use it, but is then paired for future uses.
Without the need for an app, this stand works natively across all photo and video applications on the iPhone. You can use it in the camera app, for FaceTime calls, or even for other video conferencing apps. It makes this much more adaptable than other auto-tracking stands.
What it's like to use
There is a single button on the Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro, which turns the unit on and off with a long press, and activates or deactivates the face-tracking with a short press. As soon as it’s paired, the stand is ready to go.
You can go straight into the camera app and as soon as it detects a face, it will start to track you. A white light on the front shows the unit is on and a green light to show the tracking is active. The phone will also nod first to show it’s ready to track, which is pretty cute.
My favourite feature though is that once the phone is tracking your face, you can flip to the front camera and the stand will rotate to follow you using the main camera instead. This means you can get much higher quality video, for calls or capture.
Notably this device is much smoother and quieter than other tracking gimbals that I’ve used. You can barely hear the motors as the units turns, which means unless you’re sat in complete silence, you won’t hear anything on your recording, or video call.
Should I buy a Belkin Auto Tracking Stand Pro?
Auto-tracking devices are very clever and can be useful for video calls, or any occasion when you’re filming yourself. I’m a big fan of the Center Stage feature on Apple’s iPad Pro and Studio Monitor, as it provides a better crop for your videos.
The Belkin Auto Tracking Stand Pro offers a similar solution, though without the zoom. In fact the tracking on this device is better than Center Stage, as you can use the main camera on the rear of your phone rather than the front selfie camera. That means I can use the 48MP camera on my iPhone 15 Pro Max which looks considerably better.
My perfect set-up is using the Belkin Auto Tracking Stand Pro with my iPhone acting as a webcam for my Apple TV 4K. This allows me to FaceTime on a big-screen TV and have my face tracked by the iPhone. I’ve also just discovered my wife uses the stand as a make-up mirror – a use case I hadn’t considered before.
I’d love to see the tracking system be able to swap which face it tracks, and also engage the phone’s zoom to crop in, but these are DockKit restrictions rather than anything the Belkin stand can do. I’d also have loved to see a snappier name for the device – something like the Belkin PATS (Pro Auto Tracking Stand), or PAPS (Portable Auto-tracking Pro Stand).
Overall though, this is a really impressive device, and if you want the best auto tracking iPhone stand, the Belkin Auto Tracking Stand Pro is the one to buy.
