Not only for iPhones: New grip turns smartphones into "camera" with tripod thread and 9,300mAh battery

Modern smartphones can be a replacement for a dedicated camera, at least for users who don’t professionally take photos, as our recent smartphone camera reviews and comparisons have illustrated. Smartphones are primarily controlled via a touchscreen and are rather compact, so they are optimized for mobile usage and not as ergonomic as full-fledged cameras.

The US manufacturer Belkin has recognized this issue and already introduced the Stage PowerGrip, an accessory for smartphones that should make them easier to hold. The company has now also introduced the Stage PowerGrip for a price of $80 on Amazon. A release in other markets should follow shortly.

The Belkin Stage PowerGrip is not just an additional grip, but also a power bank of sorts. It has a built-in battery with a capacity of 9,300mAh, which should allow compatible smartphones to be fully charged up to 1.6 times. This could be particularly relevant for longer video recordings. The gadget includes a small display that shows the remaining battery charge as a precise number.

Additionally, the accessory is advertised to be ergonomic, but the attached phone doesn’t have to be held at all since the PowerGrip also works as a stand. Thanks to the 1/4-inch tripod thread, the smartphone can also be mounted on a tripod or a selfie stick. The stand feature could be quite useful for selfies and video calls, for instance.

A retractable 29.5-inch USB cable is built-in, as is a USB-C port. However, a wired connection is not always necessary as the Belkin Stage PowerGrip can charge smartphones wirelessly with up to 15 watts. Either way, there’s a single button that can be used to operate the phone’s camera.

More importantly, the gadget is supposed to be compatible with a wide range of smartphones, although these should support both the magnetic attachment and wireless charging to use all features of this accessory. Therefore, the long list of compatible devices includes the Google Pixel 10 series as well as numerous iPhones including older models like the MagSafe-compatible iPhone 12 and iPhone 13.