Tag: Belkin

Ahead of CES 2026, Belkin unveiled a plethora of new products, covering screen protectors, gaming peripherals, power banks, and adapters. Among the most eye-catching additions, besides the previously revealed charging case for the Nintendo Switch 2, are the ultra-tough screen protectors featuring the new "Nano-Titan" technology, and a series of Qi2 magnetic fast-charging accessories for mobile devices. Belkin also announced a new "Wear and Tear" program in select countries, allowing consumers to replace worn-out screens at a lower cost. Screen Protectors: Titan SmartShield and EcoGuard Series. Belkin emphasizes that these new screen protectors incorporate proprietary Nano-Titan Technology, boasting aerospace-grade impact resistance. Titan SmartShield ($49.99): A high-end hard screen protector, touted as 18 times stronger than traditional glass, capable of withstanding a 2-meter drop. Featuring an anti-reflective coating and dust-resistant adhesive, and made from 60% recycled materials, the Titan EcoGuard will even be available in a "liquid" version, providing invisible 9H hardness protection. The Titan EcoGuard (starting at $49.99) emphasizes environmental friendliness and flexibility, using high-density nano-reinforced polymers suitable for curved screens. The series also includes a Red Light version that converts blue light to red light, and a Privacy Filter version with privacy protection. Interestingly, Belkin will also collaborate with Screen Skinz to offer a customization service, allowing the screen protector to display a unique pattern when the screen is off and disappear when the screen is on, balancing personalization and practicality. Gaming Accessories: Nintendo Switch 2 Charging Case... For the Nintendo Switch 2, Belkin has launched a Charging Case...

At IFA 2025 in Berlin, Germany, Belkin showcased several new products, including wall-mounted and car chargers, as well as four SoundForm audio accessories. However, the most anticipated was the UltraCharge Magnetic Charger 25W magnetic wireless charger, designed for the new Qi2 standard. This product will officially launch in October, initially priced at £30 in the UK market, emphasizing a faster, safer, and more flexible charging experience. This Qi2 magnetic charger supports up to 25W wireless output, and Belkin claims it can charge an iPhone from 0% to 50% in 30 minutes, significantly reducing user waiting time. As Qi2 gradually becomes a cross-platform standard, not only are new Apple phones fully adopting it, but many previously unsupported Android brands are also joining in, showing that Qi2 is gradually becoming the common language for wireless charging. In terms of design details, Belkin has added a foldable stand to this charger, allowing the phone to maintain screen usability when charging horizontally or vertically on a table, making it more convenient to use while charging. The stand also functions as a PopSocket-like grip aid, improving ease of one-handed operation. While the product comes with a 6.6-foot cable, providing users with some flexibility, attention should still be paid to the distance between the cable and the outlet during charging. To avoid the high temperatures generated during prolonged wireless charging, Belkin has integrated its own ChillBoost passive cooling technology. Through structural and material thermal design, this technology reduces the risk of accelerated battery aging due to high temperatures, improving overall charging safety and battery life.

With Nintendo officially launching the Nintendo Switch 2 in markets such as Japan and the United States, accessory manufacturer Belkin has announced the release of peripheral products for the Nintendo Switch 2, including screen protectors and charging cases with included power banks. The Charging Case for Nintendo Switch 2 not only holds the console and game cartridges but also includes a detachable 10000mAh power bank capable of charging the Nintendo Switch 2 1.5 times. It can hold 12 game cartridges and also features a secure storage design for Apple AirTags and other location-tracking accessories. However, since this case is designed for the Nintendo Switch 2, it cannot be used to store previously released Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch OLED, or Nintendo Switch Lite models. Belkin also simultaneously released a charging case without a power bank, as well as a 20000mAh power bank accessory capable of charging the Nintendo Switch 2 2-3 times. It offers 30W wired fast charging via a USB-C cable and also provides a USB-A power connection. Other accessories launched at the same time include a charger with dual USB-C ports and a 65W wired fast charging design, as well as a USB-C cable that supports 60W fast charging. In addition, two screen protectors for Nintendo Switch 2 are also provided, with anti-reflective and anti-blue light features respectively.

At its CES 2025 pre-show event, Belkin unveiled a toolkit for creators, including a wireless microphone and a tripod with magnetic attachment. The kit is expected to launch as early as May. The Belkin-branded wireless microphone, similar to products from DJI, features a single receiver and two microphones, all housed in a charging case. The microphone has a maximum range of 100 meters, provides 5.5 hours of continuous use on a single charge, and can be clipped onto clothing. The magnetic tripod extends up to 170 cm, with a magnetic mount to accommodate different shooting angles. It's compatible with iPhones with MagSafe magnetic interfaces, and also works with Android phones using magnetic cases or other accessories. Unlike some Chinese brands that add features like video camera detection for automatic tracking, the tripod simply provides mounting and height adjustment. However, Belkin stated that it can be paired with the previously released DockKit auto-tracking professional bracket accessory to achieve an automatic tracking effect during shooting. In addition, Belkin emphasized that this year it will increase the proportion of post-consumer plastics (PCR) in its products, expecting to increase it from the previous 72-75% to 85-90%, thereby reducing the use of virgin plastics. This has already been used in over 359 products. The newly launched 45W and 65W dual USB-C chargers, as well as the 70W and 100W GaN chargers and the 15W wireless charger supporting Qi2, all utilize a large amount of recycled plastic materials.

During CES 2023, many companies focused on sustainability. Samsung and others emphasized that their products incorporate carbon-reducing and recyclable designs from manufacturing to packaging. Accessory manufacturer Belkin also stressed that starting this year, certain products will be made from recycled plastics, and product packaging will significantly reduce plastic usage. According to Belkin, its magnetically attached wireless car charger and high-wattage gallium nitride charger will use 73%-75% recycled plastic, while outer packaging will use less plastic and even be entirely made from recycled paper. With these adjustments, Belkin expects to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 7000 metric tons and reduce CO2 emissions from these products by about 67%. To make it easier for consumers to identify which products are made from recycled plastic, Belkin stated that it will clearly indicate whether a product is made from recycled plastic on its outer packaging, and will also indicate that the packaging is 100% plastic-free, allowing consumers to easily understand whether the products they purchase are environmentally friendly. Regarding accessories made from recycled plastic, Belkin emphasized that there will be no significant difference in quality, and that it will not use environmental sustainability as a pretext to reduce production costs. Besides Belkin, brands including Apple, Google, Samsung, and Razer have already begun to incorporate sustainable design into their products. They not only use recycled plastic to make product casings and other parts, but also reduce electronic waste by eliminating the inclusion of earphones and chargers. Furthermore, they have invested heavily in packaging, significantly reducing the use of plastic, incorporating recycled paper and recycled inks, and even further reducing paper cutting and gluing, using single sheets of paper and folding techniques to create boxes.

Apple incorporated MagSafe magnetic design into the iPhone 12 and subsequently opened up the MagSafe design specifications, allowing third-party manufacturers to create various MagSafe-compatible accessories. For example, Belkin, now part of Foxconn, has already released several MagSafe-compatible accessories. This review briefly tested the MagSafe 3-in-1 wireless charger, which can wirelessly charge up to three Apple devices simultaneously, and the MagSafe Car Mount PRO, convenient for placing phones in the car. ▲Belikin MagSafe 3-in-1 Wireless Charger (right) and MagSafe Car Mount PRO. Apple officially incorporated the MagSafe magnetic design, originally used in MacBook models, into the iPhone 12 series launched last year. This allows accessories to adhere tightly to the charging pad, ensuring that devices like iPhones can be quickly and correctly positioned on wireless charging accessories, preventing charging failures due to slight misalignment. Furthermore, leveraging MagSafe's magnetic properties, Apple allows third-party accessories to be designed for various applications, such as phone stands that make it easier for users to place and remove their phones, or Apple's own power bank accessories that combine MagSafe and wireless charging. For these third-party accessories designed using MagSafe specifications, Apple provides a "Made for MagSafe" certification mark, indicating that these accessories meet Apple's magnetic strength specifications for the MagSafe interface, preventing products from falling off during use due to insufficient magnetic force. ▲ Apple provides the "Made for MagSafe" certification mark (center). The MagSafe 3-in-1 Wireless Charger and MagSafe Car Mount PRO, which I tested, both boast Apple's "Made for MagSafe" certification mark and guarantee sufficient magnetic force to prevent accidental detachment during use. The MagSafe 3-in-1 Wireless Charger is made of stainless steel with a minimalist design. It can charge iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods simultaneously and supports 15W wireless charging. Because it uses a MagSafe magnetic interface, it's only compatible with the iPhone 12 series and the iPhone 13 series, which also support MagSafe. Users should also be careful not to use excessively thick protective cases, as this could weaken the MagSafe magnetic connection. The fixed angle of the charging stand is a bit of a shame, but it's likely intended to ensure stable device placement. The LED indicators on the base provide a clear visual indication of the charging status.

Belkin recently launched new accessories for the iPhone 13 series and Apple Watch Series 7: the BOOST↑CHARGE PRO 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad with MagSafe, a MagSafe-certified 3-in-1 wireless charging pad, and the BOOST↑CHARGE PRO Portable Fast Charger for Apple Watch. The BOOST↑CHARGE PRO 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad with MagSafe is Apple MagSafe certified and is designed for use with iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 series devices featuring MagSafe magnetic charging. Users simply attach their phones to the MagSafe magnetic base to charge their devices with up to 15W of power.

When encountering slow Wi-Fi connections at home, many people's first instinct is to call their telecom provider. However, many reasons stem from outdated routers, an excessive number of connected devices, or even the built-in Wi-Fi sharing function in modems provided by Chunghwa Telecom, which naturally slows down the connection. ▲Linksys Velop MX4200 Previously, I used the Xiaomi Router Pro, also sold in Taiwan. It performed well in terms of transmission speed and ease of installation. However, with the increasing number of connected devices at home, and the replacement of my phones and laptops with Wi-Fi 6 models, although I later had a friend purchase a Xiaomi Router AX1800 from China, which supports Wi-Fi 6, its firmware design wasn't optimized for the Taiwanese environment. Therefore, occasional slow network packet transmission still occurred. The new device, the Velop MX4200 from Linksys, a networking equipment brand under Belkin, boasts a theoretical transmission rate of up to 6.0Gbps and a 50% wider network coverage than Wi-Fi 5. In addition to supporting the existing 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands used for Wi-Fi signals, it can be extended backward and upward to support the 1GHz and 7GHz bands. It also supports Wi-Fi Mesh node connection, allowing users to add more nodes to extend the Wi-Fi signal range. (Editor's Note: Linksys was originally an American networking brand founded in 1988. It was acquired by Cisco in 2003, and then sold by Cisco to accessory manufacturer Belkin in 2013. Belkin was then acquired by Foxconn in late March 2018 for $8.66 million, making Linksys, Belkin, and Belkin's brands such as Wemo and Phyn all assets of Foxconn.) ▲Linksys Velop MX4200's Simple Appearance In terms of appearance, the Velop MX4200 adopts a very simple design, and its snow-white exterior blends into most home environments. With no exposed antennas, it doesn't look out of place. The back of the device provides a WAN port for connecting to network resources, three LAN ports for connecting other networked devices, and a USB 3.0 port for connecting external USB storage devices, printers, etc. ▲The Linksys Velop MX4200 features a minimalist white exterior and an antenna-less design. ▲It offers one WAN port and three LAN ports, with the WAN port clearly marked to prevent incorrect connection. A USB 3.0 port is located on top for connecting NAS devices, external hard drives, flash drives, printers, and other peripherals. ▲The bottom features a reset button, WPS connection settings, and a power switch, along with default connection information. ▲A power adapter with a convertible connector is included. In terms of specifications, the Velop MX4200 supports Wi-Fi 6 and a tri-band design (one 2.4GHz and two 5GHz bands). This not only supports the theoretical 300Mbps bandwidth of current wireless networks but also easily handles home wireless LAN data transfer (e.g., transferring laptop data to a NAS via Wi-Fi), provided the file sizes are not excessively large.

Belkin has announced the Soundform Connect adapter for audio devices that don't support AirPlay 2 streaming, allowing traditional audio equipment to stream music via AirPlay 2 and even connect to Apple HomeKit devices. The Soundform Connect is compatible with standard 3.5mm headphone cables or uses an optical connector. After connecting to an audio device, it allows streaming music through iPhones and other AirPlay 2-compatible devices. It is powered via USB-C. This allows older audio equipment with decent sound quality to support AirPlay 2 and stream audio intuitively, while also enabling higher digital audio quality through Wi-Fi connectivity. The Soundform Connect will be available for $99.99, but it's unclear whether it will be released in Taiwan.

Apple announced that it will open the "Find My" feature to third-party accessories, and in conjunction with the Made for iPhone (MFi) certification program, allow third-party manufacturers to use the "Find My" feature to mark possible lost locations, making it easier for users to quickly find lost items. ▲ Apple's "Find My" feature is currently available for third-party devices, including VanMoof's S3 and X3 electric bicycles, Chipolo's One Spot tag accessory, and Belkin's SOUNDFORM Freedom true wireless Bluetooth earbuds, which will be available starting April 15th via the "Find My" app on Mac, iPad, or iPhone. Similar to Find Apple devices, third-party devices that support the "Find My" app can also use Bluetooth connectivity to locate nearby Bluetooth-enabled devices, even if the third-party device itself does not have internet connectivity, allowing users to confirm possible lost locations through the "Find My" app. If the device cannot be found, it can still be marked as lost using the Find My app and remotely locked. Contact information can also be left so the finder can easily contact you (if they wish to return it). ▲ The device's location can be viewed and actions performed using the Find My app. Through the Made for iPhone certification program, third-party manufacturers can create devices that support the Find My app, adhering to Apple's privacy requirements, and their location can be confirmed via the Find My app. Apple also proposes using the U1 chip to create devices supporting UWB (Ultra-Wideband) technology, providing more accurate location tracking. Once compliant with Apple's design specifications, these devices will receive "Works with Apple Find My" certification, making it easier for consumers to identify which third-party location accessories support Apple's Find My app. However, while announcing the opening of the market to third-party manufacturers and allowing devices that meet design specifications to use the Find My App to confirm their location, Apple did not simultaneously launch its own location tagging accessory, AirTag (or Apple Tag), as the market expected. The long-standing Tile location tagging accessory also did not announce whether it would support Apple's Find My App. Samsung, on the other hand, announced earlier this year the launch of its Galaxy SmartTag location tagging accessory, which is compatible with the Samsung SmartThings platform and is already on the market. ▲VanMoof's S3 and X3 electric bicycles ▲Chipolo's One Spot tagging accessory ▲Belkin's SOUNDFORM Freedom true wireless Bluetooth earbuds launched in the spring