Belkin’s MagSafe Continuity Digicam Mount is a simple webcam improve

by Belkin iPhone holder with MagSafe for Mac laptops has a foul repute however is an excellent accent. It permits you to clip your iPhone to your laptop computer so you need to use macOS Ventura and iOS 16 Continuity camera function, which turns your telephone right into a webcam that just about crushes every little thing constructed into MacBooks nowadays. And if that was all it did, I would nonetheless be proud of it – however its design and options are what are actually value contemplating, though there are already a flood of other accessories meant to do the identical job.

Utilizing the stand to show your telephone right into a webcam is straightforward: you snap it magnetically, unfold a small stand with the Belkin brand on it, and set it in your laptop. Then you definately simply want to decide on your iPhone because the digital camera within the video chat app you might be utilizing. It is a pretty easy mechanism that works nicely, and for the reason that mount is round, you’ll be able to mount your telephone in portrait or panorama mode.

Its versatile form nonetheless means there is not that additional stabilizing magnet on the backside like some other MagSafe accessories have. This most likely will not trigger a power drawback; my iPhone 12 Mini by no means slipped off the Belkin stand or something, even after I examined it with no case, and none of my colleagues who’ve used the stand with bigger telephones famous any points . However which means you may need to spend a second twisting the mount a bit to verify your video would not find yourself barely crooked.

The place the stand actually shines is its construct high quality and bonus kickstand/grip ring (sadly the kickstand cannot actually be used if you wish to relaxation your telephone’s digital camera on a desk as an alternative of your laptop; it is simply not in the appropriate place). The entire thing may be very easy and strong, like a rock that has been polished by shifting water. It is usually lined with a sort of grippy rubber, which is nice to the contact and really discreet. Once I use it with my telephone on, the low-profile dome matches completely in my palm, and I barely discover it is there. For those who really need the Continuity Digicam to be helpful, it’s essential to be sure you at all times have a mount with you. The Belkin is good sufficient that I wish to maintain it on my telephone, which implies I will not overlook it after I depart the home.

That stated, I do not assume this mount and Continuity Digicam will revolutionize my informal FaceTimes or Discord calls with family and friends for one easy cause: when my laptop computer is definitely on my lap, placing a telephone on high of the the lid does very tippy, even with my mini telephone. Once I used it cross-legged, my laptop computer fell simply and my telephone fell throughout the room if I did not seize it. Regardless that I’ve my arm on the palm relaxation, it solely takes the slightest bump for the burden of the telephone to tug my 13-inch MacBook Professional’s display screen again to its absolutely open place, which often ends in a really unflattering (and maybe an uncomfortable drive on my display screen?).

To be clear, this most likely will not be an issue on a desktop except you are utilizing the tiny 12-inch MacBook. A colleague of mine stated his MacBook Air was completely steady when sitting on a desk with an iPhone 13 hooked up, and so was one other colleague who used the stand with a Professional Max and a 16-inch MacBook. . Professional. However which means I am going to most likely solely use this accent for extra formal video calls the place I am at a desk or counter quite than the rather more frequent calls I make from the sofa. It isn’t Belkin’s fault; it is simply physics, and actually, I do not assume my mother or sister desires to see me in 720p blurry (or, at the least, I have not had any complaints for the previous few years).

Even with that limitation, I nonetheless really feel just like the Belkin mount is value its $29.95 price ticket for anybody who cares about the way it seems to be in video, has an iPhone, and plans to improve to macOS Ventura when it comes out Monday ( and that don’t want the hassle to arrange a devoted digital camera / tripod / mild).

Nonetheless, in the event you work primarily from a desk with a monitor, it is likely to be value ready for the desktop model, which Belkin says will allow you to tilt your telephone to reframe the shot. This model is “coming quickly”, in accordance with Belkin press release, though it would not point out whether or not it would function some kind of sleeker energy provide than simply plugging in your telephone utilizing a Lightning cable. This kind of function would not make sense on the transportable model, however it might most likely be a pleasant addition for these in conferences all day.