MagSafe has been around for the iPhone since the 12 variants released in 2020 and works incredibly well. I carry this Anker MagSafe power bank with me when I am out and about that snaps onto the back of the phone and gives it a bit of a top-up. Other than power banks I haven’t really seen anyone make much of the iPhone MagSafe.
Enter ShiftCam which does a series of accessories that use Apple’s MagSafe in interesting ways. I am taking a look at the SnapGrip and the SnapPop here.
SnapGrip
SnapGrip is a snap-on accessory that adds a camera-like grip to your iPhone and ingeniously, also includes a battery pack hidden within the grip giving you additional charge on the go.
The first thing to say is that the SnapGrip feels really nice in the hand and when snapped to the iPhone. I was concerned about my expensive phone dropping off the grip but it is really securely attached.
The shutter trigger is connected via Bluetooth and reconnects pretty quickly on subsequent reconnects although you might have to click a couple of times to “wake” it up again. There was no perceptible lag and the press-and-hold for video in photo mode also worked.
As for the battery pack, it isn’t a huge capacity but it charged my iPhone 13 Pro from 44 to 88% before the battery was depleted. So it is going to be enough to top your phone up rather than giving it a complete charge from flat. Still, it’s better than nothing.
I was concerned that the shutter button would stop working when the battery was gone but fortunately, that wasn’t the case.
What SnapGrid is offering is a BlueTooth shutter trigger (£3.50) along with a MagSafe battery pack (£30) wrapped in an admittedly nice camera grip for £70. Whether you think that having it all rolled into one is worth it is personal preference but I couldn’t justify the price so I bought mine nearly new from eBay. At the reduced price I’ve been pleased with it.
| Pros | Cons |
| – Doubles up as a battery – Has a nice feel to it – Helps steady phone when taking pictures | – You’ve got to remember to take it with you! – Expensive for what it is |
SnapPod
Extending the MagSafe accessory idea further ShiftCam also offers a number of other tools that work both with the iPhone and each other. These are (currently) a light, hotshoe and tripod. The latter of which I also have.
Most phone tripods have an expandable clamp that goes across the back of the phone to hold it in place. This way of working I have always found difficult to use and getting it lined up so it doesn’t squeeze the buttons is a pain so the idea of an easier way was appealing.
SnapPop looks to solve this by having a tripod that snaps onto the back of the phone. In actual fact the SnapPop comes in two parts: a top piece with the magnet at one end and a standard female phot thread at the other and the tripod legs. This means that you can actually screw the MagSafe top part onto anything that has a standard photo screw. This is just as well as the tripod legs that are provided are pretty cheap and nasty and don’t extend, well, at all.
If you are wondering why I have a pink SnapPod (see pictures below) and a black SnapGrip that’s because one of the biggest drawbacks of both products is the price. They are very expensive, £40 for a phone tripod is, quite frankly, ridiculous, and I couldn’t justify them at full price. In both cases, I bought them off eBay where I was able to get nearly new at significant discounts provided I wasn’t picky about the colour. Hence a pink SnapPod for half price at £20.
| Pros | Cons |
| – Snaps onto phone securely – Easy to attach and remove – Has a standard photo thread | – You’ve got to remember to take it with you! – Expensive for what it is – Legs don’t extend |
Conclusions
I like the SnapGrip and have used it a lot since I got it. It’s not really something that is meant for everyday use and is more aimed at amateur photographers who use their phones as their primary cameras. To be honest, I hardly ever use my iPhone to make and receive calls so maybe I have a camera with a built-in phone.
The SnapPod is much less useful as you don’t get much height and is more designed as a stability tool. I have therefore replaced the rubbish legs with something that more suits my needs but this adds to the cost which is my biggest complaint of all – the SnapPod really isn’t worth the entrance price. The SnapGrip is if you can find one discounted.
