With Apple’s recent release of iOS 17 bringing the new StandBy mode, it was a good time to review an iPhone MagSafe charging stand that supports this new feature. Because the Forté stand by Twelve South works with the MagSafe charger many of us already own, it seemed like a good choice.
What is the Forté?
The Forté stand by Twelve South is a physical stand that integrates with an Apple MagSafe charger (that you must already own or purchase separately) to become an adjustable MagSafe charger and stand for your iPhone and your AirPods. The Forté stand comes in two pieces in the box, the base and the charging post that holds the “puck” from Apple’s MagSafe charger.
Assembly is a simple two step process. You attach the charging post to the base with an included hex screw and then you insert the Apple MagSafe charging puck into the head of the charging post. The charging post head has a silicone bead build into it so that all you have to do is firmly press the charging puck into the charging post head and route the charging cable down around the back of the post and press the cable into the groove that is routed into the back of the post. It’s a very simple but effective design and the charging puck is very secure in the charging post head and the groove in the back of the charging post does a good job of keeping the charging cable out of the way and mostly out of sight.
The main functionality that the Forté stand brings is that it securely displays your iPhone at a range of angles and orientations while charging. The charge head can be rotated from the having your iPhone in a horizontal position (which is great to use when charging AirPods) or up to 70-degrees down from horizontal (in either a landscape or portrait orientation).
How Have I Been Using the Forté?
Apple’s MagSafe charger is a great technology in that it provide simple and fast charging for your iPhone. But using the MagSafe charger puck by itself is just strange because you end up having this cord with a magnetic puck on the end just laying around. So I have primarily been using the Forté as a way to keep my iPhone and AirPods charger at the ready on my bookshelf without having this random cord just laying out waiting for a device to come along so it can get used.
Being able to use the new StandBy mode feature while charging is also a nice bonus of using the Forté. The ability to customize a mostly distraction free display to show while your iPhone is charging gives you a clock and a calendar and a couple of custom widgets you can now see at a glance.
The other use I have for the Forté is at work. I use the Forté on my desk at work to both charge my iPhone and keep it displayed in StandBy mode so I have a clock for my desk but without the distractions. I also tend to not charge my iPhone overnight as I don’t use it a ton during the day. So whether I’m working from home or I’m at the office it’s nice to have it in a location where it’s easy to toss on the charger all while being able to serve as a low distraction display of important information.
Verdict
The Forté is a solid stand in that it is simple yet elegant and it just gets the job done. The base of the Forté is hefty so the stand stays put when you pull your iPhone away from the MagSafe charger’s puck connection with your iPhone magnets. I really appreciate the cable organization feature that is the groove built into the back of the post of the stand. Then there is the ability to adjust the angle of the stand to either horizontally charge your AirPods or get just the right viewing angle on your iPhone. Then there is the feature that mostly goes unnoticed and that is that charging interface works 100% of the time because the interface is Apple’s MagSafe charger. Not all 3rd party “MagSafe” charges work well with iPhone, especially if you have a newer iPhone with the larger camera bump on the back (the bump can interfere with getting a solid charging connection). The simple round MagSafe puck from Apple ensures you get a perfect connection every time.
Pros:
- Perfect alignment every time for charging
- Adjustable angle for iPhone viewing
- Able to charge magnetic AirPods cases
- Solid base provides stability
Cons:
- Only comes in white
- Requires an Apple MagSafe charger as a separate purchase
If you already have an Apple MagSafe charger then this is an automatic buy in my opinion. The Forté adds on viewing and stability features that you don’t get when you just use the MagSafe charging puck by itself and it lets you take advantage of iOS 17’s new StandBy mode. Forté for iPhone is available now directly from Twelve South’s website for $39.99.
Disclaimer: Twelve South provided me a review sample for the purpose of this review but had no input into the review.
