Two years after Apple introduced the MagSafe car mount charger for iPhones, we finally have a magnetic car mount that charges your phone.
Belkin’s Boost Charge Pro Wireless Car Charger with MagSafe can be pre-ordered on the Apple store, according to 9to5Mac.
“Wait, Amazon is flooded with MagSafe car chargers, and they’re nowhere near $100,” you may be thinking. What distinguishes it? This one is MagSafe, while the others are MagSafe-compatible.
What’s New?
Because Apple won’t allow it, they use a ring of magnets to hold your phone and standard Qi charging that can’t pump as much power into it.
(Some really suspicious listings say they can do 15W charging, but it seems like they mean the coil in it is technically capable of fast wireless charging for non-iPhones.) One with Apple’s approval is finally here… It’s hard to recommend.
The Belkin’s long name describes how it works: you clip it onto your car vent, and it holds your iPhone up so you can see maps or music controls (in theory, anyway—many car vents struggle to stay in place under the weight of a phone and mount). It will charge iPhones at 15W, more than standard Qi chargers.
What’s More?
As mentioned, Apple’s MagSafe tech is obvious here. That’s why it was surprising when Belkin basically announced this exact thing the day after the iPhone 12 introduced MagSafe—except it cost $40 and didn’t charge your phone. You know, if you were using a power-hungry navigation app.
Belkin’s new model has a built-in USB-C cable to charge your phone from your car. That made me mad because most cars with USB-C ports have CarPlay (though there are exceptions), making this accessory unnecessary.
For cars without USB-A ports or phone chargers, Belkin includes a 12V car charger adapter. I don’t see any issues with that.
Digging Into More Details
For portrait or landscape directions, the mount can swivel your phone. It’s a decent accessory—except for the $99.95 price tag.
I know MagSafe accessories are expensive, but I think most people will want to consider cheaper options. A $21 Spigen version holds a $39 MagSafe puck.
Even if you buy a $20 dual USB-C 12V adapter (it doesn’t come with one), you’ll save a lot. Spigen’s version is black, unlike Belkin’s white, which will stand out on most dashboards.
Belkin’s $60 BoostCharge Magnetic Wireless Car Charger is “MagSafe compatible” and charges at 10W instead of 15W.