CES 2024 | Belkin Stand Pro is world's first MagSafe charger to leverage Apple's DockKit framework and can be your personal automated cameraman

Back during WWDC23, Apple introduced DockKit, a framework for motorized iPhone stands. These stands help with automatic subject framing and tracking, and find applications in video streaming, conferencing, fitness, medical, and enterprise. DockKit stands can extend the iPhone's field-of-view (FoV) to 360° pan and 90° tilt.

Belkin showed off several MagSafe and charging accessories at CES 2024, but one that particularly stands out (pun intended) is the auto-tracking Stand Pro. The Stand Pro is the first of its kind to make use of the Apple DockKit SDK. The advantage with DockKit is that it is built right into iOS and does not require any third-party app installs. The iPhone will be able to instantly pair with the Stand Pro just like the AirPods or the Apple Watch. DockKit works with the native Camera app and also with any third-party app that uses iOS's camera APIs.

Using the Belkin auto-tracking Stand Pro is easy. Just snap an iPhone 12 or later onto the Stand Pro using MagSafe and the phone automatically pairs with the stand via NFC. Most social media and VoIP apps that leverage the camera including FaceTime, Microsoft Teams, TikTok, WhatsApp, and more are supported without requiring any further intervention.

In accordance with the DockKit framework, the Stand Pro supports motorized 360° pan and 90° tilt. The MagSafe pad can charge the iPhone at 15 W when the Stand Pro is plugged in. For those on the move, the Stand Pro offers five hours of battery life and can be recharged using the supplied 30 W adapter. A single button turns tracking on and off along with an LED indicator that indicates tracking status.

While DockKit is best suited for tracking a single person or object and keeping them in frame (centered by default), it also works when multiple people are in the scene and can track them without losing the main person/object of interest. DockKit accessories such as the Belkin Stand Pro can also perform gestures animations to convey emotions such as Yes, No, Wakeup, and Kapow by default.

The Belkin Stand Pro is priced at US$179.99 and will be available soon on Belkin.com and other retailers worldwide.

For those interested, a detailed rundown of DockKit and how developers can harness the technology is available on the Apple Developer website.