This is a pretty easy review: Belkin’s Lightning Audio + Charge RockStar works. Think of it as a Lightning splitter with a specific purpose. If you’re looking for a way to charge your iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, or use Lightning headphones and charge an older iPhone or iPad, this is the device for you.
The Slightly Longer Version
The RockStar is well made, and the company designed it so you can use either port for charging or listening. More importantly, it’s smart about what you’re plugging in, as shown in the chart below.
In particular, the RockStar knows that even if you plug in two charging cables, that it should pass through juice from only one of them. You know, because it’s a natural thought that two chargers would charge faster. They won’t, but RockStar takes care of that for you.
Belkin handles that with circuitry that detects what you’re doing and sends the right information or power to the right place.
That also means you can’t use it as a headphone splitter, by the by. You can use one port for charging, and the other for listening, and it doesn’t matter which one you choose. Simple, right?
Lightning Audio + Charge RockStar Construction
As noted above, the RockStar is well-made. It’s also light. That’s important for a dongle. You don’t want it pulling on your Lightning port, and you don’t want it making your iPhone feel off balance in your hands.
Conclusion
Belkin told me this device has been its most heavily pre-ordered device to date. The company was pretty quick to market with it, and despite Apple’s courage in dropping the headphone jack, the reality is that many users need to charge their iPhones while using headphones. The RockStar is a quality choice for doing so.
This also works to charge an iPad Pro and the Apple Pencil at the same time. I tested it at the Apple Store near me and then bought it when it worked don both the iPad Pro models.
Cons: You now have a fugly forty-dollar piece of plastic hanging out of your expensive phone that you previously didn’t need to accomplish the same task.
Ahhh…progress. Such courage. Because having dedicated ports for specific tasks is so…well, pre-iPhone 7.