Belkin’s camera grip power bank is a few upgrades away from being a must-have

Belkin’s Stage PowerGrip has shown maine that I should beryllium asking much from a wireless magnetic powerfulness slope than conscionable boosting artillery life while it hangs disconnected the backmost of my phone. Its clever creation adds layers of other functionality, and the inclusion of a retractable two-way charging cablegram expands the number of devices you tin complaint without ever having to retrieve to battalion a cord. It besides improves your smartphone’s ergonomics erstwhile taking photos, but that’s 1 of a fewer places wherever the PowerGrip’s functionality feels disappointingly limited.

The PowerGrip is overmuch chunkier and heavier than I expected, which turned retired not to beryllium a bad thing. At 272 grams, astir of the PowerGrip’s weight comes from its 9,300mAh battery, but I wouldn’t opt for thing smaller because I for illustration knowing I’ve sewage capable powerfulness to afloat recharge my iPhone pinch headroom to apical disconnected different devices for illustration my watch and earbuds.

There are lighter wireless powerfulness banks disposable pinch much capacity, but the PowerGrip’s heft has immoderate benefits. Most consumers will bargain the accessory to make their smartphone consciousness much for illustration a integer camera, and the PowerGrip mostly delivers. It attaches to the backmost of immoderate Qi2, MagSafe, aliases Pixelsnap-compatible smartphone. The magnetic relationship feels unafraid but doesn’t consciousness rather arsenic beardown arsenic the PopSocket I regularly use. I’m not worried my iPhone is going to autumn disconnected connected its own, but accidentally bumping my telephone while I’m only holding the PowerGrip could nonstop my instrumentality tumbling.

The protruding grip is sizable and makes your telephone consciousness for illustration a sturdy DSLR. I’ve ne'er recovered a comfortable one-handed measurement to sprout pinch my iPhone that besides feels secure, but it’s easy pinch the PowerGrip, and its weight adds immoderate invited stableness that usually requires 2 hands.

The creation allows the PowerGrip to guidelines connected its separator and usability arsenic a smartphone stand. You tin connect your telephone and make hands-free recordings aliases video calls, aliases return advantage of iOS’ StandBy mode connected your bedside table. It’s functionality I ne'er intended to use, but person recovered myself utilizing rather frequently.

The PowerGrip has a dedicated shutter fastener that connects to your smartphone complete Bluetooth. Pressing it erstwhile snaps a photo, while holding it down triggers a video signaling until released. I would for illustration the fastener positioned astatine the apical of the grip alternatively of its beforehand edge. I besides often recovered myself missing the further settings dials connected my Sony mirrorless camera that are conveniently located wrong thumb’s reach.

There are different smartphone camera grips, for illustration the Fjorden Pro and the magnetic Leica Lux Grip, that characteristic much controls, including customizable dials and two-stage shutter buttons for controlling focus. They’re some considerably much costly than the $80 PowerGrip, and those added controls only activity pinch third-party camera apps, truthful I understand Belkin’s determination not to return that approach. But pinch the PowerGrip attached and hanging a half-inch disconnected the bottommost of my iPhone 16 Pro, my thumb struggled to scope the onscreen controls successful the iOS camera app without awkwardly adjusting my grip. More often than not, one-handed shooting still required surface taps from my different hand, which I recovered frustrating.

Even much frustrating is the PowerGrip’s powerfulness output. Wireless charging rates are constricted to conscionable 7.5W, which feels glacial erstwhile Belkin has already implemented faster 25W Qi2.2 rates connected different chargers. It takes hours to afloat complaint my iPhone, and it’s not overmuch faster switching to a cable. The PowerGrip has an further USB-C larboard and a built-in 30-inch USB-C charging cable. Belkin says the powerfulness output maxes retired astatine 15W, but I measured a small complete 18W while charging a OnePlus 12 pinch Plugable’s USB-C voltage meter. However, that output is shared erstwhile charging 3 devices simultaneously. Charging rates for the OnePlus 12 dropped to little than 5W while besides wirelessly charging my iPhone and a Kobo e-reader utilizing the retractable cable.

Compared to much costly camera grip accessories for illustration the $395 Leica Lux Grip aliases the $149.95 ShiftCam ProGrip that only characteristic batteries to powerfulness themselves, it’s understandable that Belkin had to settee for immoderate compromises to get its Stage PowerGrip connected shelves for $79.99. You’ll conscionable want to really return those compromises into information erstwhile deciding if it’s worthy it for you. If you for illustration a batch of functionality successful 1 accessory, it’s worthy considering. If you want much charging capacity aliases a grip pinch much photography-focused functionality, you’ll beryllium amended disconnected juggling aggregate accessories.