Pitaka MagEZ Car Mount Pro 2 Qi2 review: Car charger with built-in NFC shortcuts

Macworld

At a glance

Expert’s Rating

Pros

Excellent magnetic hold

Good adjustment

NFC shortcuts are helpful;

Fast Qi2 charging

Cons

High price

Our Verdict

The MagEZ Car Mount Pro 2 impresses across the board: fast charging, strong hold, and integrated NFC function. No competitor offers a comparable range of functions. Pitaka also offers a version for Tesla Model 3 and Y cars.

Price When Reviewed

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Best Pricing Today

Retailer
Price


$59.99

Pitaka


$60

Product
Price

Price When Reviewed

$69.99

Best Prices Today: Pitaka MagEZ Car Mount Pro 2 Qi2

Retailer
Price


$59.99

Pitaka


$60

Product
Price

Pitaka has updated its classic MagEZ Car Mount Pro 2 for fast charging according to the Qi2 standard with 15 watts for iPhones. There are two versions of the MagEZ Car Mount Pro 2, one for one specifically for Tesla 3 and Tesla Y cars and another universal mount for ventilation grilles on other cars.

The version for the ventilation grille has a hook that is screwed to a ventilation lamella using a rotary wheel. This is easy to do if the ventilation grille is large enough.

The magnet with an adhesive force of 1.2 kilograms ensures that the iPhone is securely attached to the holder. A long USB-C cable is included for the power supply, which is connected directly to the power supply in modern cars. If you don’t have a USB port in your car, you must also provide a charger for the cigarette lighter. Pitaka also includes two practical adhesive cable guides.

What makes the MagEX Car Mount Pro 2 unique is ts built-in NFC support and its ability to work with iOS’s Shortcuts app. The NFC chips are small circles on the mount that can trigger a short command when the iPhone is held over them. Three NFC links are even possible with one switch. For example, when getting into the car, the NFC can trigger the iPhone to set the focus to “Do not disturb” and play your favorite music. It’s a great feature and Pitaka has a guide on how to set up NFC with your iPhone.

With the Tesla version you can expect a perfect hold, but with the version for the ventilation grille, it depends on the grille. With large ventilation grilles such as in an older BMW X3 it works well, with a new X1 with its narrow ventilation grille it is more difficult. It did hold in the X1, but the bracket left marks on the leather of the dashboard.

The design with the aramid fiber surface is very stylish and the magnetic hold is excellent. The NFC function is one of the killer features if you are someone who likes to use automatic functions such as shortcuts.

The charging speed of 32 percent after 30 minutes is on par with stationary solutions. However, this also depends heavily on how much power the USB port in the car can deliver.

Should you buy the Pitaka MagEZ Car Mount Pro 2 Qi2?

The MagEZ Car Mount Pro 2 impresses across the board: fast charging, strong hold, and integrated NFC function. No competitor offers a comparable range of functions. Pitaka also offers a version for Tesla Model 3 and Y cars.