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Hands-on With the Belkin MagSafe Mount for iPhone and MacBook

Belkin's latest MagSafe mount clips your iPhone to your MacBook, taking advantage of the new Camera Continuity feature in MacOS Ventura.

Justin Eastzer Former Senior Video Producer
Prior to CNET, Justin_tech ran his own YouTube channel with a focus on the smart home and lighting, VR/AR, wearables and more. Diabetes tech became a new passion after his type 1 diagnosis in May 2021. If you enjoy terrible puns and emerging tech, then you'll enjoy his tech-ventures.
Expertise Five years of tech YouTube-ing and two years of experience with diabetes wearable tech, which is used daily to foster better relationships with technology. Credentials
  • Audience-building across multiple social networks, including over 5 million subscribers for America's Got Talent and a niche diabetes tech education and community building platform
Justin Eastzer
2 min read

With the latest MacOS update, called Ventura, Apple is adding the ability to directly use an iPhone as a Mac webcam by way of a feature called Continuity Camera. As iPhones have better cameras than even the newest MacBooks, it's an easy way to improve your web meetings. 

Alongside Continuity Camera, accessory maker Belkin has released a MagSafe iPhone mount for MacBooks. It connects to the back of an iPhone with Magsafe support and, using its pop-out hinge, mounts to the top of any Macbook. This device isn't mandatory of course, but placing the iPhone just above the screen offers more direct eye contact while looking at your screen. 

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Most iPhone cameras shoot clearer video than the strongest webcam available on the MacBook Pro.

Bobby Oliver/CNET

The mount has a pop-out ring, which can be used as a finger socket or as a mini stand. A neat little trick I found is mounting the device to any magnetic surface and using the ring socket as an iPhone holder. I mounted my iPhone to the fridge and turned on the Center Stage video effect, and the camera followed me around the room nicely. 

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The Belkin mount doubles as an iPhone mount for magnetic surfaces.

Justin Eastzer/CNET

The Belkin mount comes in white or black and costs $29. I've already seen a few less expensive options popping up on Amazon. Those other ones don't offer all the features Belkin does, but they can simply mount an iPhone to the top of a Mac, which for many will do just fine. One mount I found even supports a MagSafe charger while mounting the phone, which could be convenient for many. And for those of you with a 3D printer at home, CNET's Dan Ackerman has created a 3D render of a mount that can be printed at home.

For more reasons to upgrade to MacOs Ventura see our list of the best new features and how to use them