It often surprises me that Apple doesn’t sell its own charging docks for iPhone and accessories. But maybe it’s because the third-party ones out there – like this Belkin UltraCharge Pro – are so good.
Yes, you can buy individual MagSafe pucks and cables to plug all your devices in, but a single device that can charge all of your devices at once isn’t on the cards. Like many Apple users, I regularly carry a trio of devices: my iPhone 17 Pro, an Apple Watch Ultra, and a pair of AirPods. So when it comes to settling down for the night, I want to charge all three.
(Image credit: Future)
UltraCharge Pro
Most accessories are either finished in black or white, and sometimes you get a choice between the two. The UltraCharge Pro does come in black – with a soft rubberised look to the finish – but it also comes in a colour it calls sand. This is a sort of beige, much like a golden sandy beach, and also has the silicone texture to it that makes it feel more premium.
Rather than having the phone puck and watch puck out on a singular wide arm, the watch puck tucks in nicely at the back of the phone. This means the magnetic phone puck is central to the base, and the watch is a little more hidden. This is fine, though, as you don’t really need to see the watch if your phone is mounted – the nightstand mode already provides a clock face.
The phone puck, which uses the Qi2 technology to provide magnetic wireless charging, is mounted on an adjustable bracket. This allows you to tilt the phone through 90 degrees to either sit flat, like on a table, or on its side like a mini screen. The watch puck isn’t adjustable and sits with the face pointing upwards.
(Image credit: Future)
The main arm holding these two pucks is chunky and has a chrome finish, adding to the premium feel. The base is heavy and thick, with just enough space to fit an AirPods case on top of it. There’s another reason that this charger is so chunky, and that’s because it includes a fan inside the iPhone puck to keep your phone cooler while fast charging.
The UltraCharge Pro goes beyond the normal 15W offered by most Qi2 devices and older MagSafe units. Instead, it offers faster 25W Qi2 charging take your iPhone from 0-50% charge in 25 minutes. While speed is rarely an issue if you’re charging overnight, having the option to charge quicker can be helpful for those times you forgot to charge, or if you have this at your desk rather than at your bedside.
There’s a switch on the base to turn the cooling fan on or off, should you not want the device completely silent. There is a slight whine for the fan when active, but you need a very quiet room to hear it – you certainly wouldn’t notice during the day, but being able to turn it off at night could be useful.
(Image credit: Future)
As with other multi-device chargers, there’s a white light on the base that shows when the AirPods are charging, which stays on. It’s handy, as there’s no other way to tell if they are charging after the first few seconds. However, it can be distracting in a dark room, so I tend not to leave them charging overnight.
Priced at £109.99 / $129.99, the UltraCharge Pro is certainly one of the more expensive options on the market, but is still cheaper than the old MagSafe versions used to be. Considering it charges three devices in one go, and looks as good as it does, it’s worth every penny. Had this had an Apple logo printed on it, it would have cost at least double.
(Image credit: Future)
