Twelve South Forte Review: Add Functionality and Convenience to Your MagSafe Charger

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The Lowdown

The Twelve South Forte is a simple product that adds to the functionality and convenience of the MagSafe charger. It raises your iPhone just enough and, thanks to the pivoting head, can be adjusted for the best viewing position possible. And, thanks to the design of the MagSafe charging system, the Forte can hold your iPhone in both portrait and landscape.

Overall
4.5

Pros

  • Simple and convenient
  • Assembles quickly
  • Offers a range of viewing options
  • Can hold your iPhone in landscape or portrait
  • Charging head flips up to charge AirPods with wireless charging
  • Simple, clean, and unassuming

Cons

  • You’ll have to supply your own MagSafe charger and wall adapter

I’ve pretty much gone all-in with MagSafe for iPhone, and I’m discovering an entirely new range of accessories that make using my iPhone 12 Pro even more convenient. The $39.99 Twelve South Forte for iPhone with MagSafe is one such accessory. It offers clean lines and an adjustable viewing angle. You will, however, need to supply your own MagSafe charger.

The MagSafe charging disk is a convenient way to keep your iPhone fully charged. But, as Twelve South explains, there is a problem.

When your iPhone is lying flat on your MagSafe Charger, there’s not much you can do with it. But snap your MagSafe Charger into Forté, and now you have a great-looking, useful charging stand that’s right at home anywhere in your home. Your MagSafe Charging disc fits like a glove in Forté and it’s a snap to remove it when you need to take your MagSafe Charger with you.

The Apple MagSafe Charger takes the guesswork out of charging your iPhone 12 by using powerful magnets to perfectly align MagSafe and iPhone 12. You always know your phone is charging at a full 15 watts, which makes MagSafe the fastest way to charge iPhone 12 – even when it’s hanging in the air. Combining your Apple MagSafe Charger with the Forté stand truly completes the promise of MagSafe being the best charging AND the best docking experience possible for your iPhone 12.

Twelve South Forte for iPhone with MagSafe

The Twelve South Forte for iPhone with MagSafe comes in the brand’s typically minimalist packaging. That’s a good thing since too many accessories come in fancy boxes that end up in landfills minutes after the product is removed.

Twelve South Forte for iPhone with MagSafe

The simplicity of the design is immediately clear upon opening the box. Inside, you get the Twelve South Forte base, a holder for the MagSafe charger you will need to supply, a screw to attach the holder to the base, and Allen wrench, and an Owner’s Guide.

Twelve South Forte for iPhone with MagSafe

To set the Twelve South Forte up, you place the arm with the MagSafe charger holder into the base.

Twelve South Forte for iPhone with MagSafe

From there, it is as easy as inserting the included screw and tightening it using the included wrench.

Twelve South Forte for iPhone with MagSafe

The base has enough weight that, once the two parts are connected, they create a solid holder for the MagSafe charger. Putting the Twelve South Forte for iPhone with MagSafe together takes just a few minutes. The result is a charging stand that is 5″ high. The base measures 4.5″ by 3.7″.  Weighing just under a pound, the stand has enough weight to create a stable base while being light enough to move from one location to another easily.

I appreciate the simple white finish of the Forte and the small, unassuming branding on the base.

Twelve South Forte for iPhone with MagSafe

The next step is to place the MagSafe charger into the receptacle.  You’ll want to make sure the cable coming from the MagSafe charger is aligned with the small groove at the top of the holder. It looks a bit messy at first, but the Twelve South Forte has a neat trick up its sleeve.

A channel running along the back of the verticle arm is specifically designed to hold the cable in place. It took me a few tries to get it right since you will want enough slack in the cable to allow the MagSafe holder to pivot. The reason for this will become clear in a moment.

Once the MagSafe charger is in place, you can begin using it to secure and charge your phone. As Twelve South explains,

Park & adjust your phone screen to face you! Then grab & go with one hand: Forté is the ultimate desktop, countertop or bedside charging stand for iPhone 12. Magnetically suspended on Forté, you can stream shows, FaceTime or attend Zoom meetings – all hands free. The top of Forté tilts 70 degrees to provide the perfect viewing angle. You can also position your phone in landscape or portrait mode. Forté creates the best MagSafe experience with the fastest wireless charging & iPhone 12 magnetic support you can use with one hand.

You will, however, not only need to supply your own MagSafe charger but a wall adapter too.

Twelve South Forte for iPhone with MagSafe

There is, however, another trick up the Twelve South Forte’s sleeve.

It is not only adjustable, so you get the best viewing angle for your work, but it can flip up 90 degrees and create a flat charging surface.

Twelve South Forte for iPhone with MagSafe

That, in turn, creates a perfect base for charging your AirPods so long as you have one of the cases that include wireless charging. It works perfectly with Raina’s AirPods, with my AirPods Pro, and other true wireless earphones that include wireless charging capabilities.

As the company puts it, “Just set your AirPods case on top of Forté and the wireless charging magnet will do its thing.”

Twelve South Forte for iPhone with MagSafe

Features:

  • Pairs with MagSafe Charger for fastest wireless charging possible
  • Holds iPhone in portrait or landscape and tilts 70-degrees
  • Use as a pedestal charger for AirPods and AirPods Pro
  • Easily insert and remove MagSafe Charger (not included) for travel

The Twelve South Forte is a simple product that adds to the functionality and convenience of the MagSafe charger. It raises your iPhone just enough and, thanks to the pivoting head, can be adjusted for the best viewing position possible. And, thanks to the design of the MagSafe charging system, the Forte can hold your iPhone in both portrait and landscape.

That makes it great for hands-free FaceTime calls. The ability to create a flat base for charging your AirPods is a bonus and adds to the utility of the accessory. Sure, it would be nice if you didn’t need to supply your own MagSafe charger, but the design means you can remove your charger and take it with you when traveling. I’m a fan of the Twelve South Forte and am already using it on my desk at home.

Twelve South Forte for iPhone with MagSafe

I suspect I’ll pick up a second one for use at my office, although the accessory is easily transported and can be moved from one location to another with ease. The $39.99 accessory doesn’t change the way you’ll charge your phone, but it sure does make it more useful.

The Twelve South Forte for iPhone with MagSafe retails for $39.99; it is available directly from the manufacturer.

Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample

What I Like: Simple and convenient; Assembles quickly; Offers a range of viewing options; Can hold your iPhone in landscape or portrait; Charging head flips up to charge AirPods with wireless charging; Simple, clean, and unassuming

What Needs Improvement: You’ll have to supply your own MagSafe charger and wall adapter

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About the Author

Dan Cohen
Having a father who was heavily involved in early laser and fiber-optical research, Dan grew up surrounded by technology and gadgets. Dan’s father brought home one of the very first video games when he was young and Dan remembers seeing a “pre-release” touchtone phone. (When he asked his father what the “#” and “*” buttons were his dad said, “Some day, far in the future, we’ll have some use for them.”) Technology seemed to be in Dan’s blood but at some point he took a different path and ended up in the clergy. His passion for technology and gadgets never left him. Dan is married to Raina Goldberg who is also an avid user of Apple products. They live in New Jersey with their golden doodle Nava.