If there's one thing I have, it's a love of gadgets that come along for the ride

The Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro is a battery-powered, 360-degree rotating and tilting phone mount that unlocks a little-known iOS feature The feature is called DockKit, an SDK for developers that Apple released as part of iOS 17; DockKit-enabled accessories can connect directly to the iPhone's front and rear cameras and track head movements without the need for third-party apps

In general, this type of product may seem a bit niche for content creators, but there are actually more uses for the Auto Tracking Stand Pro, such as FaceTime calls or using the iPhone as a camera when having a meeting at your desk

We have tested the Auto Tracking Stand Pro in all of these use cases and are happy to report that it works as advertised After completing the one-time pairing process, attaching my phone to the stand via MagSafe, and opening the camera app, my phone was ready to follow me around I danced left and right, squatted and tiptoed, but no matter how I moved, the device adjusted my phone to find my face

As a content creator, I see a lot of merit in something like the Belkin Auto Tracking Stand Pro That said, I'm not sure every person needs to spend $179 on a high-tech iPhone stand Here are my reasons why you should or should not buy the Auto-Tracking Stand Pro:

The primary reason I think you should buy the Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro is the fact that you do not need to download any additional apps or software to make it work Once the iPhone is connected once, it will automatically pair with the stand after that

Now, I have tried other face-tracking stands before However, they all require a third-party app to record and then download it to the camera roll, which can be a major hassle depending on the type of content being captured There is also no benefit to video calling, which is a major benefit of using Belkin's Auto Tracking Stand Pro

Another reason why you should purchase the Belkin Auto Tracking Stand Pro is that it has a rechargeable battery, so you can take it with you to record content when you travel or are out and about without having to worry about connecting it to a charging cord I have used it for hours at a time with no problems

The device can run on battery power for up to 5 hours before needing to be recharged, which should be more than enough for whatever you plan to do If you just want to keep it on your desk, you can connect it to a charger If plugged into a wall outlet, it can also charge an iPhone with 15W wireless charging

The final reason I recommend the Belkin Auto Tracking Stand Pro is because of the benefits it offers Apple Watch users As you know, the Apple Watch has an app that can remotely control the camera

By placing your phone on this stand, you can easily switch between using the rear camera or the selfie camera, which will automatically adjust to find your face If you have an Apple Watch Series 9 or Apple Watch Ultra 2, you can use the double Tap feature to conveniently control the camera as well

If you're just looking for an average MagSafe charging stand, you can skip the Auto Tracking Stand Pro it's true that it can charge at more than 15W, the maximum speed of wireless charging for the iPhone, but to do so you need to plug it into a wall outlet

The Auto Tracking Stand Pro is a great option

There are also more affordable, nondescript MagSafe charging stands, although they are convenient enough if you want to keep the stand in place It is a little disappointing that it cannot be used to charge a battery-powered device If it could be used as a portable charger, that would be a different story

Anyone with an iPhone 11 or earlier, or basically anything not iPhone 12 or later, should also avoid the Auto Tracking Stand Pro It is only compatible with iPhones with MagSafe, and while most users considering this probably have the latest phones, it is still a setback

Finally, if you are someone who likes to travel light, I am not sure if the Auto Tracking Stand Pro is for you I've seen creatives who travel heavy with their equipment, but if you just like to record with your iPhone, there are more compact tripods for smartphones I could throw this in my car, but if I'm packing for a flight, this feels a bit bulky This is not a major drawback, but it depends on what you are looking for in a smartphone tripod

As someone who does a lot of content creation, I have no shortage of tripods and usually look for one that has some sort of built-in light as part of the setup That said, I like that the Belkin Auto Tracking Stand Pro supports dynamic content captured directly with the iPhone's native camera app It could be used not just to record video, but also to conduct meetings or FaceTim while on the move

If you are just looking for a charging station, this is not the one to get Also, be sure to check your phone's compatibility first Otherwise, this is a neat iPhone accessory and I wouldn't be surprised to see more gadgets using DockKit in the near future