Technology - Google News

Review: Belkin's MagSafe Car Vent Mount Pro isn't as 'pro' as we'd like - AppleInsider

Posted: 05 Dec 2020 11:47 AM PST

Belkin's new car mount is the first official third-party MagSafe mount to start shipping, but with limited functionality, it isn't quite as "pro" as we were hoping it was.

Apple's new MagSafe technology has opened up the floodgates to a whole new ecosystem of accessories that connect to or charge iPhone 12. As the accessory world was largely surprised by MagSafe, no accessories were ready to go with the launch of iPhone 12, sans a few select Apple partners.

Otterbox debuted a line of MagSafe-enabled cases, Scosche launched a few adapters for Apple's MagSafe charger, and Belkin debuted the Car Vent Mount Pro as well as a docking station.

Belkin's MagSafe docking station is still not shipping quite yet, but its car mount has finally started shipping to customers after Apple took the wraps off on stage at the Steve Jobs Theater.

Finally something new for the car

Car vent mounts are a pretty boring accessory category. You've got the typical clips that hold the phone on the sides, and you have ones that are magnetic but require you to add a shim or a sticker to the back of your device.

Thanks to MagSafe, we now have a new option that is better than anything we've had before. The magnetic ones we had before always required the shims, and the clips could be a pain to hold your phone or were bulky.

Belkin's mount in the car

When relying on MagSafe, no additional shim or sticker is required, and it couldn't be easier to place or remove your phone.

It is finally something new that is simple and reliable. We'd still say it is a fairly unexciting accessory, but one we use frequently enough to care about.

Belkin's MagSafe car mount

A car mount only has to do a few things well, and Belkin's offering is functionally solid, but there are a few ways it falls short.

When we first saw Belkin's MagSafe mount, we thought it was made of metal. It has a matte silver finish that looked just like anodized aluminum.

That's absolutely by design, but does leave us disappointed when we pick it up and feel the light and warm plastic.

The magnetic front panel of the mount attaches to the back on a ball head to rotate to different angles and clips onto the vent of your car. Unlike small magnetic car mounts, the large size of the mount blocks your phone from getting overheated when your car's heating is on.

Belkin's MagSafe mount is quite large, which is due purely to the design of MagSafe itself. MagSafe mounts use two parts — a circular array of magnets in the center of the phone and a vertical line of magnets towards the bottom, which is used for alignment.

If the mount only used the circle, it would be possible for your phone to rotate inadvertently.

Using our iPhone 12 Pro Max with the Belkin Car Mount Pro and wireless CarPlay

Between the circle and the alignment magnet, it makes the whole ordeal on the large size, but it is still hidden entirely when your phone is connected.

The grip is strong and held in place well on our Jeep's driver-side air vents. The front is covered in silicone, which adds a bit of passive grip to your phone. Inset in the silicone is a circle and line to represent where the MagSafe magnets are located.

Should you buy Belkin's Car Vent Mount Pro?

If you want a MagSafe car mount, Belkin is currently your only true option. Over time, that will change as other manufacturers release their designs.

While Belkin's mount does what it says it will do, we were unimpressed with the quality. The plastic body feels rather cheap to the touch, despite the sleek metal-like appearance.

Maybe skip the Belkin MagSafe car mount?

It may be worth skipping the Belkin MagSafe car mount

There's also something funky going on with the internal magnets. As we bring our phone towards the charger, there is a distinctive clicking that sounds like a piece of thin plastic flexing back and forth, as if the magnets are starting to engage.

Functionally there is nothing wrong with that, but it kills the "pro" moniker.

Unlike a tablet or computer, it is hard to infer what would make a car mount rated for "pros," but based on our time testing it, this doesn't quite make the mark.

The Car Vet Mount Pro works for now, but we are very much looking forward to a nicer model that could also include support for charging.

Sleek silver appearance
Strong MagSafe connection
Rotating and pivoting ball head
Strong vent clip
First MagSafe mount to be released
Much better than any magnetic alternative

Feels cheap and plastic-y
Has an odd clicking noise inside when we mount our phone

Rating: 3 out of 5

Where to buy

The Belkin Car Vent Mount Pro is an Apple exclusive at launch and sells for $39.99. It has already begun shipping to customers.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

PS5 and Xbox Series X stock shortages have killed the console war - Tom's Guide

Posted: 05 Dec 2020 09:30 PM PST

It has now been nearly a month since the launch of the PS5, as well as the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. And still they are stupidly difficult to find. Even when stock arrives, it feels like you need to carry out a blood sacrifice to a hundred retail and internet gods before you even get a whiff of new console stock.

And that has me coming to two conclusions: the first is the console wars are basically over, and the second is the 'next generation' simply hasn't arrived yet. That might sound bizarre given the discourse around Sony and Microsoft's next-gen consoles over the past few months, but allow me to explain.

It's all very well for Sony and Microsoft to harp on about how powerful their respective new consoles are and how they'll change your gaming experiences to a degree that your tiny mind can barely comprehend. But as impressive as all three consoles are, the fact that you can't get them renders a lot of the excitement and messaging behind them moot.

Now, stock shortages of new ganingconsoles, or indeed other compelling tech, isn't surprising in the early launch days of such devices. But the PS5 and Xbox Series X shortages are beyond the pale.

While the idea of the so-called console wars has been laughable in general — regardless of which console sells the most, both win — the concept is utterly irrelevant given these shortages.

It's no longer a case of which new console you buy, but for some rather a case of buying what you can get a hold of, if you're not willing to wait for demand to slow down. I reckon you should wait for 2021 when there are more games and developers with the new console hardware. But I get the desire for new tech is a powerful compulsion.

And with this vast demand, even for the lesser-powered Xbox Series S, it means that both Sony and Microsoft have won the console war. All three machines are pretty much a resounding success.

That could change as demand eases off and one company might find it challenging to continually ship console units. But that's not likely to happen for a while; think 2022 or 2023.

As for choosing one console over another, both offer different things. The PS5 has the innovative DualSense controller and a longer list of upcoming exclusive games, while the Xbox Series X has stellar backwards compatibility and Xbox Game Pass set to be boosted by the growing numbers of developers under the Xbox Game Studios banner. Unlike the last console generation, this one makes a compelling argument to get both machines, at least when they become easier to buy.

So in simple terms, it's game over for the console war, before it even began. Thanks for coming to my TED talk, read on for part two.

Talking about this generation

I've been slowly moving from using the term "next-generation consoles" to "this generation." But when I stop and think about it, I feel the PS5 and Xbox Series X are very much still next-generation consoles.

I don't know anyone personally outside of games media and tech reviewers who have access to either of the new consoles. Until more people have the PS5 and Xbox Series X, or Series S, then the new generation of gaming can't really start in earnest.

And then we have the games. While the Xbox Series X enhances games that'll run on the Xbox One, it has no games that really make you stand back and exclaim "**** look at those graphics." Assassin's Creed Valhalla looks great but it's not a huge step up from Red Dead Redemption 2 to my eyes. And sure Demon's Souls is hugely impressive — just ask my colleague Marshall Honorof — but it's a remake of a decade-old game.

With no striking new intellectual properties or games that must have the new hardware to run, we're in a tricky situation where we have one foot in the old generation and another in the new. This is nothing new when it comes to game consoles, but usually there are some standout exclusives that are the early poster children of the future of console gaming.

And PC gaming fans might be snickering with their powerful hardware arguably offering next-gen power for a year or so. But when it comes to getting hold of the new Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, it's easier to find an honest person in politics than stock of either graphics card. The same is true of other graphics cards in their respective families, most recently the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti that sold out in mere moments.

As such, we're all stuck in a form of limbo, where new gaming hardware is being touted around by big companies but feels so far out of reach you might as well be reaching out trying to pluck a star from Orion's Belt.

I'm hoping this will change as the holiday gets closer and 2021 starts peeking around the corner. But until that happens, I'm not ready to accept that we're in the next-generation of gaming.

Let's block ads! (Why?)