So ugly! Why design this to look like the phone is sitting on a coffee mug? So many better options on Amazon, with a much sleeker profile. Its a miss.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Belkin Debuts $130 BoostCharge Pro Dock for iPhone and Apple Watch
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
You listed the most expensive possible parts (Apple MSRP) and only managed to break even.
I 3D printed a two-in-one charger stand with some parts from Amazon:
So honestly $129 doesn't seem unreasonable, especially since it's an integrated solution with a single charging cable that is color matched and braided with higher quality fit and finish. And only one of the Apple chargers is braided for some reason and it doesn't match my print color. It's only $43 more than DIY. It's fine for my desk, and with 0.15mm layer height it looks great in black which helps hide the layers, especially with the softer indirect lighting in my studio. What I would like to try next is making one from walnut in my workshop, but I need to do a lot of design work to figure out assembly and I've been busy.
- $33 for Apple MagSafe Charger on sale
- $29 for Apple Watch Fast Charger
- $19 for Anker 2-port USB-C Charger on sale
- Less than $5 in PolyMaker PLA Pro filament, black
So honestly $129 doesn't seem unreasonable, especially since it's an integrated solution with a single charging cable that is color matched and braided with higher quality fit and finish. And only one of the Apple chargers is braided for some reason and it doesn't match my print color. It's only $43 more than DIY. It's fine for my desk, and with 0.15mm layer height it looks great in black which helps hide the layers, especially with the softer indirect lighting in my studio. What I would like to try next is making one from walnut in my workshop, but I need to do a lot of design work to figure out assembly and I've been busy.
Now they’re just taking the piss with that sort of pricing for a charging stand.
You could buy an entire smartphone or smartwatch for that price, lol.
You could buy an entire smartphone or smartwatch for that price, lol.
Okay…you could definitely save money in the cable and the charger. But what other magsafe pucks match the specs of the Apple one? And same with the watch puck? I’m genuinely asking because maybe there is something I don’t know about.
And there is some value and convenience in having it all in one. And I didn’t even include an upright dock in my calculation either, so there’s added value there, too.
Listen, I wouldn’t spend $130 on this myself. But to say that it is overpriced doesn’t keep in mind what it includes, in my mind. I see the overpriced comment on most of these docks, but when you take a look at the cost of the components, it starts to make sense to me.
Does it include a magsafe charger that charges the iPhone at the fastest speed possible? Yes. Same with the watch? Yes. Does it include a high quality usb-c cable and a charger that can handle higher speed charging? Yes.
I agree. Put the value of your time in there and you’re pretty close to the cost of this thing. I think people aren’t acknowledging the electronics that go into it. The sticker shock I absolutely get, and I wouldn’t spend $130 on a dock, but I can see how that is what it is worth. The components are there.
Why does no one remember this??? The 3 in 1 Belkin charger broke with bad firmware just 2 to 3 months ago!
Here is the article and many comments of terrible customer service if anyone wants to touch up:
https://www.macrumors.com/2023/08/30/belkin-3-in-1-charger-issues/
Ok. So the price is kinda make sense. My 12South include nothing, only a stand.
Not really sure what complaints in this thread are about...
It is still something that most people do no consider. The cheap ones typically are just a shell and you have to buy the cables if you do not already have them. It's the hidden cost most people do not think about when they spend $30 on a "charging stand" from amazon.
Bought a Belkin dock as I was sick of the cheap Chinese knockoffs breaking. The Belkin broke after a year.
I think the issue is that the components when purchased individually are also priced a bit higher than they should be. The profit margins on these devices years on when the R&D costs are long paid off is kind of crazy. But then again Apple isn’t necessarily trying to be accessible to everyone, and if you are a 3P building accessories you might as well ride the gravy train as others have pointed out.
Agreed. Absolutely insane pricing for a charger. $39 at the absolute most is what I would pay for this device that simply charges 2 devices at once.$130
This is far more compact than that charger, so not exactly apples to apples.
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.