With the Auto Tracking Stand Pro, you are always in the picture

Who needs the iPhone as a phone these days? Not me. I mainly use the Apple product as a video camera and webcam. Belkin has built the perfect, albeit not quite cheap, table stand for this, which always keeps you in the picture.

Important to know in advance: The Auto Tracking Stand Pro can access the face recognition of the iPhone cameras and therefore only works with Apple phones - and only with newer models from the iPhone 12 generation onwards.

Installation should always be this easy

I take a look at the quick guide. There are just four points. Surely installation can't be that easy? Yes, it really is child's play! I don't have to install anything, just connect the Belkin stand to the power supply using the USB-C power adapter supplied and then hold the iPhone on the stand.

Thanks to NFC, the mobile recognises the stand and asks if I want to pair it. Press "Yes" once and wait a few seconds - and the Belkin is connected. This installation process is really exemplary - that's how it should always be! However, this only works because the accessory manufacturer works closely with Apple and is authorised to use the interfaces.

Magnetically attached and reliably tracked

The iPhone is held magnetically on the stand, either vertically or horizontally. The phone then charges with 15 watts using the MagSafe standard. The Auto Tracking Stand Pro does not support the new [Qi2 standard]/page/qi2-new-wireless-charging-standard-bringing-iphone-and-android-together-30600), but this does not matter, as MagSafe and Qi2 are practically identical.

If the iPhone is connected to the Belkin, simply switch on the camera and a recognised face will be tracked. This works with all of the device's cameras and video recording does not even have to be activated. The mode can also be used in FaceTime and various other messengers and video call apps. Social media applications such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube also use the iPhone's face tracking and are therefore compatible.

As soon as you place the iPhone on the stand, it moves up and down briefly. This nod signals that the connection is established. If you now start an application with camera support, you will always remain in focus. The stand can rotate the iPhone 360 degrees all round - and 90 degrees up or down.

What impressed me: After the initial installation, activating face tracking works reliably every time. This is important because you often take the Apple phone off the stand and use it in everyday life.

Webcam or video recording?

I often use the iPhone as a webcam. The Belkin stand is ideal for this because it holds the camera at a height of around twenty centimetres and I am immediately and always in focus during video calls - even if I'm not always sitting in the same place or moving around. Apple does offer a "follow mode", but this only moves the image section and not the camera itself. Belkin clearly has the edge here.

A big advantage is also that you can use the iPhone's excellent main cameras for calls and selfie videos because you always stay in the frame. Of course, this also helps with video recordings and live streams. Here, the Belkin replaces the camerawoman or cameraman, so to speak.

In this video, I not only show you how easy it is to set up the Belkin. I also recorded the whole video with an Auto Tracking Stand Pro. You can also see that I move quite quickly and still stay in the picture.

What happens if there are several people in the picture? Then the system has a problem. The iPhone recognises several faces, but then simply follows one relatively randomly. I can't select a fixed person, so the stand with tracking is only useful for first-person videos. Nevertheless, the tracking can be switched off at the touch of a button and the Belkin stand becomes a normal mount.

Clever features, too minimalist display

Belkin gives the expensive stand a few extras. Thanks to the standard thread, I can also screw the entire construction onto a tripod or stand. However, this should be stable, as the stand alone weighs around 580 grams.

The integrated battery is responsible for the high weight. This means that the stand can also be used without a power connection. The manufacturer claims a battery life of five hours. In the tests, this proved to be a realistic estimate - as long as the 360-degree mode is not running at full speed and the stand is not constantly rotating on its axis. In battery mode, however, the iPhone is not charged.

I am looking in vain for a display. The Auto Tracking Stand Pro has two LEDs at the front and back that light up and flash in different colours. Sometimes they indicate the charging status, sometimes whether tracking is activated, and sometimes whether the smartphone has been connected correctly. I couldn't remember what exactly meant what. There would certainly have been better solutions.

One last small point of criticism: the holder and stand are fixed and cannot be folded up in any way. This may benefit stability, but as soon as I want to take the Belkin somewhere for recording, it becomes rather cumbersome.