Whether you dream of being an influencer or are frequently on video calls, one of the newest iPhone accessories should be on your radar. Announced back at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show, the Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro with DockKit is a $179.99 robotic MagSafe stand for your iPhone.
It has a superpower under a pretty sleek, unassuming build. After a simple NFC tap to set up, it instantly integrates with your iPhone’s camera to keep you in the frame. Pretty freakin cool, and it works in the Camera app and FaceTime as well as countless others from TikTok to Zoom with WebEx and Instagram in between.
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Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Crazy simple and intuitive setup |
A bulky design when compared to other MagSafe stands |
A perfect iPhone accessory if you're a content creator or frequently take video calls |
Not super affordable at $180 |
Brings CenterStage to the iPhone |
It truly just works
Jacob Krol/TheStreet
Unlike various iPhone tripods sold on TikTok or Pivo’s motorized stands, Belkin’s is the only solution directly integrating with an iPhone, thanks to Apple's (AAPL) DockKit being built-in. You don’t need to download a third-party app or connect to the accessory via Bluetooth.
After unboxing and contemplating whether I could move my body like the dancer on the packaging, I plugged the Auto-Tracking Stand Pro in and held in the power button to bring it to life. I then tapped my iPhone 15 Pro Max onto the base, where four subtly curved lines resemble the NFC logo.
Jacob Krol/TheStreet
Then, like pairing AirPods or an Apple Watch, a splash screen appeared asking if I’d like to connect to a “Tracking Stand,” a few seconds later, the “Belkin Stand Pro” was ready for use. I snapped my iPhone to the integrated MagSafe mount, fired up the camera app, switched to video, and saw it identified me with a yellow box. It adjusted to me centered in the frame, and as I moved around and up and down, it kept me in the frame.
It’s that simple, and the real boon is that the Stand Pro acts as a robotic camera to keep you in the frame. So if you’re filming the next rival TikTok Dance, maybe to Beyoncè’s “Texas Hold Em” or “Austin” by Dasha, you can groove to your heart’s content and not worry about moving out of frame. You can film that dance directly in TikTok since the Auto-Tracking Stand Pro will move to keep you in the frame.
This advanced stand for your iPhone will get the job done even for filming GRWM (Get Ready With Me), Daily Vlogs, or even a sort of ASMR live stream from your desk.
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It’s also practical for working from home or while traveling, as it can keep you in frame while on a video call. To a degree, it brings CenterStage or at least the ethos of the Apple software feature from iPads and the Studio Display to an iPhone. You can be on FaceTime, WebEx, Google Meet, Zoom, or any video call that uses the base camera API and move around as you wish.
Jacob Krol/TheStreet
A series of motors inside the base of Belkin’s Auto-Tracking Stand Pro lets it move the iPhone up and down from left to right. Additionally, the base can turn 360 degrees, so you can feel free to move in any direction without the concern that it might lose you. Additionally, it’ll lock onto one person by default via face or body with either the front or rear iPhone camera.
When two folks are in the frame, it will aim to keep you both in the frame but will eventually lock on top of just one individual, and you’ll see that noted by the framing box around them on screen. You can also feel free to place your iPhone either vertically or horizontally on the MagSafe mount.
You can also use this stand and the auto-tracking, with either the front or rear cameras on your iPhone. However, without having an Apple Watch, capturing with the rear cameras can be tricky. The Apple Watch is a bit of a hack as you can pull up the Camera app on your wrist to see the view from your iPhone right there; it’s the best way to use the Auto-Tracking Stand Pro with anything but the front camera. It works and tracks just as effectively with the rear lenses on an iPhone, though.
It’s a simple, unassuming build
Jacob Krol/TheStreet
Along with the hidden superpower, the Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro looks like a sizeable iPhone stand, and you could use it just like that. But it’s quite a bit taller, with a bulkier base, than competing stands from Anker, Nomad, or Mophie, and even some Belkin makes. Still, though, the motors and integrated battery had to go somewhere.
Making the $179.99 price tag more understood is the included 5-foot USB-C to USB-C and USB-C wall plug. This way, you get everything in the box to use the device besides the iPhone. You’ll use that cable and wall plug to re-charge the stand—it lasts about five hours of tracking on a full charge. It can charge a MagSafe-capable iPhone at up to 15 watts when plugged in and fully charged.
You could travel with the Auto-Tracking Stand Pro, but make sure you have enough room in the bag since it measures 4.3 inches in width and 8.5 inches in height. I’m hoping that future generations might be a bit slimmer.
Bottom Line
Jacob Krol/TheStreet
Belkin’s Auto-Tracking Stand Pro accomplishes what it intends to do with an intuitive setup and no extra input required on your end. You’ll pair your iPhone via NFC and then hop on a video call or film content as you normally would. It feels like an accessory that Apple might have made in-house, but Belkin’s using its longstanding history of making iPhone accessories to its advantage here.
The deep integration with iOS and the iPhone makes it leagues better than competing auto-tracking stands. It also succeeds as a larger but fully usable MagSafe wireless charging stand for your iPhone.
Whether you take a lot of video calls on your iPhone or want to take your content creation to the next level, Belkin’s Auto-Tracking Stand Pro with DockKit fits the bill and succeeds. It’s shipping now from Belkin for $179.99 and can also be purchased from Apple and Amazon.
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