When Apple announced iPhone 12 models with MagSafe charging capabilities, the first third-party MagSafe accessories were shown during the announcement. Not long after, Belkin officially launched the Boost Charge Pro 3-in-1 Wireless Charger with MagSafe, the first official third-party MagSafe-charging option.
Belkin’s Boost Charge Pro MagSafe– will be available for purchase starting January 8, and ahead of launch, I’m testing the charger to see how it performs against the standalone MagSafe charger and whether it’s worth the $150 price tag.
Design-wise, the Boost Charge Pro MagSafe looks similar to other Belkin 3-in-1 chargers on the market. Made from a white plastic material coated in a soft silicone, the Boost Charge Pro MagSafe has a circular base with an angled chrome-colored T-shaped arm rising from the top that houses a ‘MagSafe’ charger on one side and an Apple Watch charging puck on the other. .
The design looks simple and straightforward, but I wish the round base was a bit smaller in size or rectangular to fit better on a desk. I find the shape a bit awkward on my small desk because it’s about 5.3 inches wide at its widest point, but due to the iPhone’s weight with the angle of the charger, it probably needs a base that size to stay upright. The charging pucks are both fixed and cannot be rotated or angled in any way, and the default angle takes up more vertical space than I like.
The MagSafe charger works with all of Apple’s iPhone 12 models and is shaped to be used in either portrait or landscape mode. Even the largest iPhone 12 Pro Max can be used in landscape mode without interfering with the Apple Watch charging puck on the other side. The magnets line up quickly and it’s easy to get an iPhone in the right place to charge, even in the dark.
The same soft material that covers Apple’s standard MagSafe charger covers the Belkin MagSafe charger, while the Apple Watch Charging Puck is a smooth plastic similar to Apple’s own charging options for the Apple Watch. You can get the Boost Charge Pro MagSafe in black or white, and the accessory has a sticker silicone material on the bottom to ensure it stays in place on a desk while holding an iPhone, plus it has a weighted base.
You’ll notice that in many of my photos, the Apple Watch is at an angle, and that’s because it doesn’t want to sit upright on the Apple Watch charging puck. It rotates with a click when connecting/disconnecting to a 12” phone, but note that I have a 40mm Apple Watch. With further testing with a 44mm Apple Watch, the issue wasn’t as pronounced, but it seemed to vary based on Apple Watch components and band design.
The Boost Charge Pro MagSafe is fairly light, but I had no problem lifting or moving my iPhone when removing it from the charger with the sticky base. There’s a white LED light on top of the base that lets you know the AirPods are aligned and charging properly. It turns amber if the alignment is off or there is an object in the way. I’m not a fan of charging lights on docks because they’re distracting at night, but at least this light is limited to charging AirPods.
The iPhone-Charger fits in a corner and is easily visible by glancing at it on a nightstand or desk while charging if you get an incoming notification or want to check the time. You can also use it for FaceTime calls or watching videos in landscape mode if you want.
Since it’s a 3-in-1 charger, the base of the Boost Charge Pro MagSafe is a wireless charging platform that can accommodate AirPods or AirPods Pro, so the Apple Watch, iPhone 12, and AirPods can all be charged at the same time. The little circular indentation on the timing charger guides you where to place the AirPods for charging.
The Boost Charge Pro MagSafe charger can charge an iPhone 12 at up to 15W, the same charging speed as a standard MagSafe charger, plus enough power for AirPods and Apple Watch. Apple’s own ‘MagSafe’ Duo that pairs a ‘MagSafe’ charging pack with an Apple Watch charger is limited to 14W, so Belkin’s charger should be a bit faster.
Apple’s standard MagSafe charger charged the iPhone 12 (from completely dead) to 61 percent in an hour with a 20W power adapter, and Boost Charge Pro charged it to 66 percent, so it was somehow faster than the standard charger. I’m not sure if I wasn’t getting 15W charging with the Apple ‘MagSafe’ charger or what, but I was happy with the Belkin charging speed. I also tested with three devices at once, and from dead, the Boost Charge Pro MagSafe was able to charge an iPhone from 12 to 61 percent in an hour while charging an Apple Watch and another iPhone.
Belkin provides a 40W power adapter and 1.5m cord with the Boost Charge Pro MagSafe, and it takes all the guesswork out of which power adapter you need to get faster speeds. Apple does not include a ‘MagSafe’ charger or power adapter with the ‘MagSafe’ Duo. The ‘MagSafe’ charger requires you to use Apple’s official 20W charger or another charger that may or may not be compatible, and the MagSafe Duo requires a compatible 27W+ charger for maximum speed.
Trying to figure out which power adapters I could use with Apple’s charging options was a hassle, so I appreciate that Belkin has a power adapter ready to go. You can’t use a third-party power adapter with it because it doesn’t work over USB.
The downside to the Boost Charge Pro ‘MagSafe’ is that the MagSafe charger doesn’t work with older iPhones. Technically MagSafe chargers are compatible with previous iPhones and are capable of charging them at 7.5W, but Belkin’s upright design relies on magnets to hold the iPhone in place, and since older iPhones don’t have MagSafe magnets, there’s no viable charging option.
You can charge an older iPhone where the AirPods are intended to go, although this charging spot is designed specifically for the AirPods as it’s only a Qi-based wireless charger. This charging spot worked with an iPhone X, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, and iPhone 12 Pro Max, so I assume it fits most devices. Since this charging spot is aimed at AirPods, it’s limited to 5W, but I found it worked perfectly for my non-iPhone 12 devices and I appreciated the option.
While on the subject of compatibility, you can use the Boost Charge Pro MagSafe with MagSafe cases. I tested with Apple’s ‘MagSafe’ cases and it worked fine. I don’t have a non-MagSafe case to test, but Belkin says it’s specifically designed to work with MagSafe-certified cases.
bottom line
If you’re looking for a multi-device charger for an iPhone 12, this is it. It works with any iPhone 12 model Apple Watch, and AirPods, and at $150 it’s only $30 more expensive than the foldable MagSafe’ Duo.
The MagSafe Duo is the best choice for travel, but for a charger you plan to use at home, the Boost Charge Pro MagSafe is a functional, attractive multi-device charger that performs as expected. I have no real complaints about the Belkin MagSafe charger, and since it works with three devices, allows direct operation, and comes with a power adapter, I prefer it to the MagSafe Duo.
How to buy
The Boost Charge Pro 3-in-1 Wireless Charger with MagSafe – available from Apple for $139.95.
Note: Belkin provided MacRumors with a Boost Charge Pro 3-in-1 Wireless Charger with MagSafe for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.
