Belkin Boost Charge Pro 3-in-1 Wireless Charger with MagSafe Review

When Apple announced the iPhone 12 models with MagSafe charging capabilities, the announcement showed the first third-party ‌MagSafe getoond accessories. Shortly afterwards, Belkin officially introduced 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 is expected to be available on January 8, and prior to launch, I tested the charger to see how it compares to the standalone agMagSafe‌ charger and whether it is worth the $ 150 asking price is.

In design terms, the Boost Charge Pro “MagSafe” is similar to other Belkin 3-in-1 chargers on the market. The Boost Charge Pro ‌MagSafe‌ is made of a white plastic material covered in a softer silicone and has a round base with a curved chrome T-shaped arm that houses a MagSafe‌ charger on the top of it and an Apple Watch charging puck on the other side.

The design looks simple and straightforward, but I wish the round base was slightly smaller or rectangular to fit better on a desk. I find the shape a bit awkward on my small desk, being about 5.3 inches wide at its widest point, but given the weight of the iPhone with the angle of the charger, it probably has a base of that size necessary to stay upright. Both charging pucks are static and cannot be rotated or angled in any way, and the standard angle takes up more vertical space than I’d like.

The ‌MagSafe‌ charger works with all ,iPhone 12‌ models from Apple, and the format is such that it can be used in both portrait and landscape mode. Even the largest iPhone 12 Pro Max can be used in landscape mode without disturbing the Apple Watch charging puck on the other side. The magnets align 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 Belkin’s ‌MagSafe‌ charger, while the Apple Watch Charging Puck is a smoother plastic, like Apple’s own Apple Watch charging options. You can get the Boost Charge Pro ‌MagSafe‌ in black or white, and on the bottom of the accessory is stickier silicone material to make sure it stays on a desk when you hold up an ‌iPhone‌, and it has a weighted base.

You will see that in many of my photos the Apple Watch is tilted, and that’s because it just doesn’t want to sit right on the Apple Watch’s charging puck. It flips with a push or when attaching / detaching an ‌iPhone 12‌, but note that I have a 40mm Apple Watch. On further testing with a 44mm Apple Watch, I didn’t see the same problem. It’s also less pronounced with a heavier 40mm stainless steel Apple Watch, but the problem is present with that model.

The Boost Charge Pro ‌MagSafe redelijk is fairly light, but with the sticky base, I have no qualms about lifting or sliding it when I take my ‌iPhone‌ out of the charger. There is a white LED light on the top of the base that tells you that the AirPods are aligned and charging properly. It turns orange when the alignment is off or when there is an object in the way. I’m not a fan of charging lights on docks as they distract at night, but at least this light is limited to charging ‌AirPods‌.

The ‌iPhone‌ fits on the charger at an angle and is easy to see when you look at it on a bedside table or desk while it is charging, if you get an incoming notification or want to check the time. If you’d like, you can also use it for FaceTime calls or watching videos in landscape mode.

Since this is a 3-in-1 charger, the base of the Boost Charge Pro ‌MagSafe‌ is a wireless charging platform that is compatible with ‌AirPods‌ or AirPods Pro, so the Apple Watch, ‌iPhone 12‌ and ‌AirPods‌ can all be charged at the same time. The small circular notch on the charger indicates where you can place the ‌AirPods om for charging.

The Boost Charge Pro ‌MagSafe‌ charger can charge an ‌iPhone 12‌ with up to 15W, which is the same charging speed as the standard ‌MagSafe‌ charger, while also providing enough power for ‌AirPods‌ and Apple Watch. Apple’s own “MagSafe” Duo that combines a “MagSafe” charging puck with an Apple Watch charger is limited to 14W, so Belkin’s charger should be just a bit faster.

Apple’s standard ‌MagSafe‌ charger charged ‌iPhone 12‌ (from completely empty) to 61 percent in one hour with a 20W power adapter, and the Boost Charge Pro charged it up to 66 percent, so somehow it was even faster than the standard charger. Not sure if I didn’t get 15W charging with the Apple ‌MagSafe‌ charger or something, but I was happy with Belkin’s charging speeds. I also ran tests with three devices at the same time, and from death the Boost Charge Pro “MagSafe” was able to charge an “iPhone 12” up to 61 percent in one hour, while also charging an Apple Watch and another “iPhone”.

Belkin ships a 40W power adapter and 1.5m cord with the Boost Charge Pro “MagSafe”, taking all the guesswork out of which power adapter you need to get the fastest speeds. Apple does not supply a power adapter with the “MagSafe” charger or the “MagSafe” Duo. The ‌MagSafe‌ Charger requires you to use Apple’s official 20W charger or any other charger that may or may not be compatible, and the MagSafe Duo requires a compatible 27W + charger for maximum speed.

Finding out which power adapters I can use with Apple’s charging options has been a daunting task, so I appreciate that Belkin has a power adapter that is ready to go. You cannot use a third party power adapter with this as it does not work over USB.

The downside to the Boost Charge Pro ‌MagSafe‌ is that the ‌MagSafe‌ charger will not work with older iPhones. Technically, MagSafe chargers are compatible with previous iPhones and can charge them at 7.5W, but Belkin’s upright design relies on magnets to hold the iPhone in place, and since there are no MagSafe magnets in older iPhones, there is no viable charging option.

You can charge an older ‌iPhone‌ where the ‌AirPods‌ are intended, even though this charging spot is specially designed for ‌AirPods‌ because it is just 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 will fit most devices. As this charging spot is targeting ‌AirPods‌, it is limited to 5W but I found it worked perfectly for my non-iPhone 12 devices and appreciated having the option.

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 any non-MagSafe cases to test, but Belkin says it is specifically designed to work with MagSafe certified cases.

Bottom Line

If you are looking for a multi-device charger for a ‌iPhone 12‌, this is the one to get. It works with any ‌iPhone 12‌ model, the Apple Watch and the ‌AirPods‌, and is just $ 30 more expensive than the foldable ‌MagSafe‌ Duo at $ 150.

The ‌MagSafe‌ Duo is the better choice for travel, but for a charger you want to use at home, the Boost Charge Pro ‌MagSafe‌ is a functional, attractive multi-device charger that works as expected. I have no real complaints with Belkin’s ‌MagSafe‌ Charger, and since it works with three devices, can be used upright, and comes with a power adapter, I much prefer it to the bovenMagSafe‌ Duo.

How to buy

Belkin plans to sell the Boost Charge Pro 3-in-1 wireless charger with ‌MagSafe on January 8, and it will retail on the Belkin website for $ 149.99.

Note: Belkin provided MacRumors with a Boost Charge Pro 3-in-1 wireless charger with “MagSafe” for this review. No other compensation was received.