Content creation has seen an uprising since the pandemic put us all back home, and people had to find ways to keep themselves occupied. Short form content took things a step further, and today, people all over the world, and using content creation as a means of livelihood. The quality of content that we consume has also gotten so much better, and that is thanks to the rise of accessories that have assisted creators in more ways than one. Belkin is a brand that has been one of the leading brands to make truly exclusive content creation accessories, the latest of which is the device we will be reviewing today – The Belkin Auto Tracking Stand Pro.
Known for making truly amazing accessories for the iPhone lineup, Belkin has gone a step ahead with their all-new offering. The Auto Tracking Stand Pro may look like a standard iPhone charging stand, but under the hood, it packs features that will make you absolutely salivate.
Design and Set-up
The device features the familiar simplistic yet robust design that is a trademark of Belkin products, and we truly appreciate that the brand has still not over thought the design on any of their products. We have a simple circular base that features the charging port and a subtle power button. At the bottom of the base, we do have the provision to attach a tripod as the 8-inch height of the device can be a limiting factor for some who want to record their content at a higher level.
On top of the base, we have the actual mount, where you attach your iPhone (yes, only iPhones are supported, so Android users look away). The mount controls the motion of the iPhone as you record your content, while also charging your device simultaneously. Pretty cool!!
One of the best features of the Belkin Auto Tracking Stand Pro is the ease of setup. Simply unlock your iPhone, tap it onto the pairing symbol on the base of the device, follow a few quick on-screen instructions, and you are good to go.
Why no Android?
You may be wondering why Belkin did not release an Android version of the Auto Tracking Stand Pro, and the answer is simple. The device actually makes use of DockKit, which is a developer SDK that was seeded along with iOS 17. Now, DockKit allows devices to automatically connect to the iPhone’s cameras for whatever purpose it serves, without any additional hassles. Of course, Belkin could release an Android compatible version of this device, but for now, it is iPhone only.
Performance
Coming to the performance, the Belkin Auto Tracking Stand Pro is pretty much plug and play. As mentioned earlier, the setup is quite simple, and once you are done, you can simply attach your iPhone to the docking stand, and open any of the camera apps that you have, and they should ideally be recognised by the Auto Tracking Stand Pro, and you can start recording. Belkin designed this device to serve two purposes – To help content creation and charge your device as well. Here’s how the two tasks happen –
- The dock does feature the magsafe wireless charging, so if you have an iPhone that supports MagSafe charging, you can simply plug in the Auto Tracking Stand Pro to the power supply via its charging port, and it will start charging your iPhone. If you are going to be travelling, you can carry a battery pack that you can use plug into, in order to charge the iPhone using the stand, even without a power supply.
- With the device plugged into the power supply, your iPhone will start charging, and you can still record your content using the Auto Tracking Stand Pro. You get full 360-degree movement with the stand, so recording content is not a problem. But what if you want to record content on the move, without having to plug into the power supply? Well, the Belkin Auto Tracking Stand Pro also features a rechargeable battery that promises upto 5 hours’ worth of usage on a full charge. What this means is that if you are recording outdoors, you can simply dock your iPhone to the stand and record content for upto 5 hours. Once the battery is exhausted, you can either plug in the stand to the power supply or battery pack.
We used the Belkin Auto Tracking Stand Pro for indoor and outdoor shooting, and while the performance is generally impressive, it does have the occasional lag. So, if you are moving too fast, chances are the stand will not be able to keep pace with you, and this could lead to re-recording. Keep in mind that this is not a regular phenomenon, and you will have to move super-fast in order to trigger this. Normal motion is not a problem.
The absence of a dedicated app makes this super friendly, and we tried recording content using the standard camera on the iPhone, followed by apps like YouTube, Zoom, WebEx, WhatsApp, and Microsoft Teams, all of which worked without a problem. You can try this stand out with most popular third-party video recording apps, and there is a good chance that they will be supported. Even features like Instagram Live and Facetime work without a hitch.
Overall, we can’t really point towards a glaring fault in the Belkin Auto Tracking Stand Pro in terms of operating performance, and that in itself is a big thumbs up, especially since the device costs $179.99, which does sound like a lot.
Compatibility
Earlier, we mentioned that the Belkin Auto Tracking Stand Pro is exclusively made for the iPhone. However, what you should know is that even in this domain, the device will only work with iPhone 12 and above. If you have an iPhone 11 or lower, then this device is not for you. Yes, this sounds like a deal breaker, but in a way, it is fair for Belkin to do this as the iPhone 11 and below are already obsolete, and while they run the latest build of iOS, there are some features that don’t feature in them, and as such, can’t work with this accessory.
Conclusion
All in all, the Belkin Auto Tracking Stand Pro is a device that gives you the best of both worlds. Content creation is an absolute breeze, and since the design is simple and not too heavy, it is easy to carry around. Compatibility with third party apps makes it an all-rounder and the ultra-simple setup process is the cherry on top. Could Belkin have priced this a little more aggressively? Maybe, but for the features and ease of use, we personally feel that the $179.99 price tag is worth it, and if you are in the market for an iPhone accessory that will assist you in your content creation adventures, you should definitely consider the Belkin Auto Tracking Stand Pro.
You can buy the Belkin Auto Tracking Stand Pro through this link – Click Here
