Revolutionizing Mobile Shooting with Belkin’s Auto-Tracking Stand Pro - A Creative Videographer’s Dream Tripod Review

Key Takeaways

• The stand’s five-hour battery and MagSafe compatibility offer nice conveniences.
• Auto-tracking works well for video apps, but it’s not compatible with still images.
• It may be bulky for travel, but ideal could still be worth it for content creators and frequent social media users.

It’s not always clear when fancy gadgets are just luxury items or actually tools of the trade. In this case, the Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro with DockKit might look like an overpriced, motorized, tripod, but it could be just the thing content creators and people live streaming from their phones have been waiting for.

Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro with DockKit

7/ 10

The easiest way to FaceTime, create action-packed videos, and go hands-free for live streaming and video conferencing is here. Belkin’s Auto-Tracking Stand Pro follows your face and body movements with 360-degree rotation and 90-degree tilt with smooth, quiet motors.

Pros

• 5-hour built-in battery is nice to have
• MagSafe attachment and charging work well
• Easy pairing and “just works” controls

Cons

• Auto-tracking doesn’t work with every video app
• No support for still images
• Can be a bit bulky for general travel

$179.99 at Belkin

Auto-Tracking Stand Pro with DockKit Overview

Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but so is utility. That’s why at first glance, in a void, the Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro can seem like a way too expensive MagSafe stand. In that context, you’re right. But as a tool that allows content creators, influencers, and other people capturing video from their phones hands-free, it’s a much better value.

First, here’s how the Stand Pro works. It uses Apple’s DockKit to automatically move and follow a person using either the front or back camera. The Stand Pro has a five-hour battery built into its base so it can be used without being plugged in. If it is plugged in it can power the iPhone connected via the MagSafe mount. And because it does use an omnidirectional magnet, phones can be positioned in landscape or portrait.

The motorized stand can rotate 360 degrees and is able to follow you in circles if you are making full use of a room. The mount can also tilt up to 90 degrees for a wide coverage range. On the bottom of the base is a tripod thread for even more versatility.

The unit isn’t ultra-compact, mostly because of its fat base, but as a video production accessory, it should be able to fit in most backpacks just fine if you do need to travel with it. I wouldn’t travel with it for fun, but, again, as a work accessory, it’s not bad.

It Moves and Grooves

The Stand Pro works with quite a few apps including Apple’s FaceTime, TikTok, and Instagram. If you use a specialty app, you’ll want to check with the developer to see if they support DockKit.

I really liked using the moving stand on FaceTime calls. It made it easy to keep working at my desk while on calls with my wife. In the kitchen, I could move around without disappearing from the frame. But when used with only FaceTime calls the Stand Pro doesn’t seem like a great value for $180. In a corporate environment for some kind of work use, maybe it makes more sense financially.

Another area I thought could be interesting was in combination with an Apple TV. Since Apple’s set-top boxes now support FaceTime, an iPhone can be stuck to one of these stands and used for family calls in the living room. In practice, it was only slightly more effective than any iPhone stand would be.

As a side note, I like that Belkin included a “pause” button on the base because if the camera is using the back camera you would continually be chasing it to turn off the recording.

Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

Where I really think the Stand Pro excels is for content creators, especially people just getting started who don’t have an assistant or family member willing to follow them around. If you’re making money in any form from social media and could benefit from a stand that follows you and keeps you in the frame, then this product should do the trick. Even if you’re not making money, but are an enthusiast creating content regularly this Stand Pro should still be a consideration for you.

What The Stand Pro Doesn’t Do

Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

For as much as the Belkin Stand Pro does, like NFC pairing and no-control tracking, there are still things it can’t handle. Most of this product’s shortcomings have to do with Apple and DockKit, rather than Belkin itself. You should evaluate the product based on what it can do today rather than hope or assume it will get better in the future, but it’s not out of the question that Apple will improve its DockKit software come June 2024 at its developer’s conference.

For example, the Stand Pro doesn’t work with the regular camera for still images. The stand will only follow you when it’s in video mode. This is a bummer, but ultimately understandable. Similarly, I haven’t found a definitive list of apps that are compatible with the DockKit technology. It needs trial and error to find various ones that work. From some of my testing, I found some apps that I wouldn’t have expected to work and others I would have that didn’t. For whatever it’s worth, it seems to be apps that utilize Apple’s default system camera framework that get DockKit compatibility whether they were trying to get it or not.

Price and Availability

The Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro with DockKit retails for $179.99. You will need an iPhone 12 or newer with iOS 17 installed.

Should You Buy the Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro?

Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

Like most specialized gadgets or tools, you should really have a specific use case in mind before purchasing. The Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro with DockKit is no exception. It works well enough to be useful for anyone, but it’s almost certainly only going to be a good value for people who could benefit from hands-free help being on camera. The more recording you do the better investment it will be.

Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro with DockKit

7/ 10

The easiest way to FaceTime, create action-packed videos, and go hands-free for live streaming and video conferencing is here. Belkin’s Auto-Tracking Stand Pro follows your face and body movements with 360-degree rotation and 90-degree tilt with smooth, quiet motors.

$179.99 at Belkin

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