00:00Should you buy or skip the Belkin Auto Tracking Stand Pro?
00:03I'm Kate Kozich and I've tested this face tracking tripod.
00:06Let's talk about whether I think you should spend $180 on it.
00:10The Belkin Auto Tracking Stand Pro is essentially a battery-powered,
00:15360-degree rotating and tilting iPhone mount that unlocks a lesser-known iOS feature.
00:21That feature is called Docket, a developer SDK Apple released as part of iOS 17.
00:27Docket-compatible accessories are able to connect directly to the iPhone's cameras,
00:31both front and back, and track your head movements without the need for third-party apps.
00:35In general, these kinds of products can seem a bit niche to content creators,
00:39but there's actually a lot more ways you can use the Auto Tracking Stand Pro,
00:43such as for FaceTime calls or having your iPhone be your camera for meetings at your desk.
00:48And I can just get this out of the way. It works as advertised.
00:51That said, it definitely sounds kind of pricey at $180. So, is it worth it?
00:57The first reason I think you should buy the Belkin Auto Tracking Stand Pro is the fact that you don't
01:02need to download any type of third-party or additional apps or anything to get it to work.
01:06You just have to bring your phone to it to initiate pairing, and once you give the stand
01:10permission to connect to your phone via the Docket framework I mentioned earlier, you're in business.
01:15Now, I've tried other face tracking stands before, but they all make you record in third-party apps
01:20and then download it to your camera roll, which can be a big holdup depending on what
01:24type of content you're filming. I find this way more convenient.
01:29Another reason you should buy the Belkin Auto Tracking Stand Pro is because it has
01:33a rechargeable battery, meaning you can pick it up and take it with you when you travel
01:38or go out to record content without worrying about tethering it to a charging cord.
01:42The device can run on battery power for up to five hours before needing to be recharged,
01:46which should be more than enough for whatever you have planned.
01:49And if you're just leaving it at your desk, you can keep it hooked up to the charger.
01:53A final reason I'd recommend the Belkin Auto Tracking Stand Pro is that there are some
01:57added perks for Apple Watch users. As you might know, there's a camera remote app on the Apple
02:02Watch that lets you control the camera, well, remotely. And if you have your phone on the stand,
02:07you can easily switch between using the rear or selfie camera, and it'll just define your face
02:12automatically. If you have an Apple Watch Series 9 or Apple Watch Ultra 2, you can also use the
02:17double tap feature to conveniently control the camera. Now, all those things sound great,
02:22but there are also some limitations with a product like the Auto Tracking Stand Pro,
02:26and that might mean for you that it's not worth the money.
02:29I think you can skip the Auto Tracking Stand Pro if you're just looking for a MagSafe charging
02:34stand. While it's true that this will charge your phone over 15 watts, which is the max
02:38wireless charging speed for an iPhone, it needs to be plugged into the power outlet for that to work.
02:44I think it's convenient enough if I'm leaving the stand stationary, but there are far more
02:48affordable charging stands. This doesn't charge your phone if it's running on battery power,
02:53which is kind of a bummer. I think if it did double as a portable charger,
02:56this would be a different story. People who have an iPhone 11 or earlier, or basically anything
03:01that's not an iPhone 12 or newer, will want to avoid the Auto Tracking Stand Pro as well.
03:07It's only compatible with a MagSafe-equipped iPhone, and while I could argue that most users
03:12who would even be considering this are probably up to date with their phones, it's still a setback.
03:17Finally, if you're someone who likes to travel light, I don't know that the Auto Tracking Stand
03:21Pro is right for you. You know, I've seen creators who travel with heavy equipment,
03:25but if you just like to record on your iPhone, there are more compact phone tripods. I could
03:30see tossing this in my car, but if I were packing for a flight, this feels kind of bulky. I wouldn't
03:35say this is a huge con, but it really depends on what you're looking for from a phone tripod.
03:40If it were me spending my $180, I might still be on the fence about the Auto Tracking Stand Pro.
03:46As someone who does a lot of content creation, I have no shortage of tripods, and I usually
03:51look for ones that have some kind of integrated light as part of the setup. That said, I love
03:56how easy it supports dynamic content shot directly on the iPhone's native camera app.
04:01I could even see myself using it for conducting meetings or FaceTiming while I'm moving around,
04:06more than just recording video. Again, if you're just looking for a charging stand,
04:10this isn't the thing to get, and be sure to check your phone's compatibility. Otherwise,
04:14this is a very neat iPhone accessory, and I wouldn't be surprised if we see more gadgets
04:19using Docket very soon. Either way, I've linked the Belkin Auto Tracking Stand Pro
04:24in the description of this video if you're interested. As always, you can see the latest
04:28tech we're testing on our socials everywhere at Tom's Guide. And as for me, I'm at Kate Kozich.
04:34Thanks for watching, I'll catch you next time.
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