Belkin makes MagSafe iPhone mount for desktop owners who want a better webcam
Enlarge / An iPhone 13 Pro stuck to Belkin's MagSafe camera mount for laptops. The desktop version works similarly, just with a different design for thicker screens. (credit: Andrew Cunningham)
The Continuity Camera feature was one of the headliners in the macOS Ventura update: Any Mac can now use any compatible iPhone as a webcam via a Lightning cable or a wireless connection. And any iPhone camera is a significant upgrade over the 720p and 1080p webcams that ship with iMacs and most of the 1080p desktop webcams from the likes of Logitech, Microsoft, and Razer (for Mac mini and Pro owners with no built-in webcam).
The problem is finding a place to put your iPhone while you try to use it as a camera. Belkin made a MagSafe mount that could quickly clip an iPhone to the top edge of a MacBook, but the retention clip is too narrow to use with most desktop monitors. A new version of the mount, announced today, has been created with a wider base and a sort of kickstand to help it fit on top of most desktop monitors.
As of this writing, the Belkin iPhone Mount (Magsafe Compatible) for Mac Desktops is listed on Apple's site for $29.95, though a Belkin representative informed us that the correct price is $39.95. The product photos show it sitting astride a Studio Display, which includes a front-facing camera similar to the one Apple includes in iPads, but image quality has been a mixed bag.