Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
It has taken me quite a while , but I ’ve lately had a chance to try out a feature iniOS 17that , until now , I had forgotten even existed . I ’m let the cat out of the bag about StandBy style , and I experience a bit silly for having slip by it by for so long , as it ’s really good .
Why have n’t I used it until now ? It turns out I just need the right piece of computer hardware to descend along .
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
What is StandBy mode?
If , like me , you ’ve forgotten about StandBy mode , here ’s a agile reminder about what it is . introduce with iOS 17 in September 2023 after being previewed at Apple ’s Worldwide Developers Conference ( WWDC ) in June 2023 , StandBy turns your iPhone into a basic smart video display when it ’s on explosive charge . consider of it like a simple interpretation of theGoogle Nest Hubor anAmazon Echo Show . It shows the metre , photos , or various widgets in landscape painting orientation , so it ’s suitable for the bedside or an office desk . It can also beaugmented using sure apps .
Like many of the best iPhone and Apple Watch features , it activates automatically when the conditions are good . In this type , the phone needs to be place on a charging stand so it ’s angled and upright and in landscape painting rather than lying flat on a Earth’s surface . Provided the phone is locked , Standby activates straightaway , and if it ’s in a dark environment , the presentation glows red , just like the special Night Mode on theApple Watch Ultra 2’sWayfinder and Modular Ultra watch face .
Until recently , I ’ve charged my iPhone overnight using the prescribed MagSafe charging Robin Goodfellow , which is small and commodious . I ’ve also used a Google Nest Hub on my bedside table for chic home and assistant duties .
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
However , as I move away from Google ’s saucy home to Amazon ’s smart home , the Hub has become senseless . Then the Anker MagGo Wireless Charging Station — a portable MagSafe battery charger for the iPhone , Apple Watch , and AirPods — arrived . And with it , my first experience with StandBy musical mode .
Anker’s charging dock
I ’ve used various charging docks for the iPhone and Apple Watch over the eld , but many are quite big , or in some example , the charging block or organization generates some unwanted noise from the electricity flow or a buff . These vexation soon quit me from using them . The Anker MagGo Wireless Charging Station is very compact and , so far , entirely silent , make it ideal for a small bedside tabular array .
It charges the iPhone using MagSafe - compatible Qi2 technology at 15 watts , and the magnets are strong enough to endure theiPhone 15 Pro Maxina Casetify case . A 5W charging stamp pad behind the angled MagSafe section charges your AirPods , and there ’s a fold - out 5W Apple Watch shoot puck at the back . It means the puck does n’t have to be on show if you do n’t own an Apple Watch , but it ’s there if you ever decide to get one .
Folded up , the Anker charging station is barely larger than my medallion ( the caller compares its size of it to a ingroup of play cards ) and is very light , so it ’s also perfect for locomotion . While it ’s not the most attractive charging dock I ’ve seen or used , the compact , lightweight , multifunctional design keeps it out of the agency without compromising on features . I do n’t really need my send loading dock to be a intention feature in a room — I just desire it to buck my phone and smartwatch .
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
What it’s like using StandBy mode
The Anker charging wharf introduce me to StandBy mode . It was a happy co-occurrence , too , as StandBy is on by nonremittal in iOS , so it popped to life once my docked phone lock itself . I do n’t need notifications or my calendar horizon overnight , so I ’ve stuck with the map - style option that take up the entire screen . It ’s just bright enough in Night Mode to see the prison term , but not so much that it lights up the entire room with a nervous red glow .
But the biggest change for me has been to abandon my Nest Hub and bank on Siri to do any additional smart dwelling and assistant features I may need . Siri happily turn lights on and off , and interacts with my saucy thermostat too . Most of the clip , this is all I want , but I sometimes also want to check the weather condition prognosis , and it gayly help oneself me out . I mark how much Siri had improved when I reviewed theiPhone 15 Plus , and it go forward to effectively listen and understand command .
I like that the combination of Siri , Anker ’s commit dock , and StandBy mode negate the motive to have a consecrate sassy speaker or display in the sleeping accommodation . I was considering anAmazon Echo Poprather than the Nest Hub , but the iPhone and Siri perform almost the same tasks . Seeing as I charge my iPhone overnight anyway , this is an elegant , simple result , and one less gimmick always reap great power can only be a good thing .
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Getting the right dock
TheAnker MagGo Wireless Charging Stationhas been my introduction to StandBy modality , but it ’s not the only selection if you want to assay it out . We ’ve gota survival of the fittest of different docksand also enjoyed using Belkin ’s unusualAuto - Tracking Stand Prorecently , along withNomad ’s Stand One Max . Provided the charging dock works with MagSafe charging and substantiate the telephone set in an good landscape orientation , StandBy mode will work .
If you like the idea of the fold , travel - friendly MagGo Wireless Charging Station , it costs $ 110 and comes with the dock itself , a USB - C cable with an angled connector at one death , and a 40W wall charger — making it a good overall value . It works with every iPhone exemplar released since the iPhone 13 , all AirPods with wireless charge cases , and all Apple Watch models since the very first . StandBy modality involve iOS 17 .
Yes , it has taken me many month to try out StandBy mode , but it derive along at exactly the ripe time , just as I shake up my sassy home system of rules . And it took the right composition of equipment to remind me that it live . If , like me , you have also forgotten about StandBy mode , give it a try before long , as you may determine it just as helpful .
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
