RØDE Magnetic Smartphone Accessory Mount review: simple but effective

RØDE is best known for the wide range of audio products that they manufacture, such as headphones and microphones (see our review of RØDE Wireless Pro ). As more and more high-end video is being shot on smartphones RØDE has produced several accessories to make it easier to mount mics (and LEDs) to our mobiles.

The problem with some wireless mic kits is that their cable-attached receiver can end up dangling from a smartphone’s USB-C port. You could use a smartphone cage like the RØDE Phone Cage and slide the RØDE Wireless Pro’s receiver nice and securely into one of its cold shoe mounts.

However, if you want to travel really light then the RØDE Magnetic Smartphone Accessory Mount enables you to attach up to three accessories to your smartphone and it is slightly cheaper than the RØDE Magnetic Phone Cage. For more on the best iPhone grips check out our guide.

RØDE Magnetic Mount: Specifications

Magnetic mount disc:
Weight: 75g
Dimensions: 57 x 12 x 57 mm

Long Cold Shoe Arm:
Weight: 15g
Dimensions: 22  x 97 mm

Short Cold Shoe Arm:
Weight: 9g
Dimensions: 22  x 52 mm

1/4 Inch Tripod Mount:
Weight: 31g
Dimensions: 28  x 113 mm

RØDE Magnetic Mount: Design & Handling

The RØDE Magnetic Mount ships in a card box containing four metal components. The key component is a black RØDE-branded metal disc measuring 57 x 12 x 57 mm (and weighing a mere 75g). This is designed to magnetically clamp to the rear of a MagSafe smartphone such as the iPhone 15 Pro Max . The magnetic disc will also stick to other brands of smartphones if they are contained in a MagSafe-compatible case.

It has four slots at the top, left, bottom, and right. These slots are designed to accommodate the other metal accessories in the RØDE Magnetic Mount kit - a long cold shoe arm (measuring 97 mm in length), a short cold shoe arm (measuring 52 mm in length), and a tripod mount (measuring 113 mm in length).

The tripod mount slides into the bottom slot on the circular magnetic mount. It has a 1/4-inch mounting thread at its base so that you can attach it to a tripod (or tripod plate).  You can slide the other two cold shoe arms into any of the other three slots to configure accessories such as a shotgun mic, wireless receiver, or LED light for example.

RØDE Magnetic Mount: Performance

To test the RØDE Magnetic Mount I took it along to a video shoot in London on a beautiful sunny day. I filmed my model (Paulina Cherry) with a Zhiyun Smooth 5S AI stabilizer as I needed to perform smooth pans, tilts, and occasionally rolls (for POV shots) - see our supporting video. The gimbal was fine for general camera moves but as my iPhone 15 Pro Max was clamped up against its roll motor there was nowhere to plug in a microphone.

To interview my model I detached my iPhone 15 Pro Max from the gimbal and clamped the disc-shaped RØDE Magnetic Mount onto the back of my iPhone. I then slid the short cold shoe arm into the top slot on the circular disc. I then attached a JOBY Wavo Plus shot-gun mic to the cold shoe mount at the end of the metal arm and attached its cable to my iPhone’s USB-C port. This enabled me to record an interview with Paulina without needing to clip a wireless mic onto her.

I plugged the RØDE kit’s long cold shoe arm into the slot on the right of the magnetic disc. I was then able to attach an LED light from a SmallRig Creator Kit onto the metal arm so that I could illuminate Paulina with a fill light in a dark alleyway (away from the tourists in our main location).  I slid the tripod arm into the bottom of the circular magnetic mount and attached a mini metal tripod from the SmallRig Creator Kit. I then used the tripod to hold my rig steady while interviewing Paulina about our sunny shoot. The three sold shoe mounts slide easily into the slots on the magnetic disc but they stay firmly attached, so there’s no danger of one of your attached accessories dropping off. The metal arms are also fairly easy to pull out when you need to pack up your kit.

With some smartphone cages, such as the Neewer iPhone 15 Pro Max Phone Cage , the cage and its handles block the iPhone’s USB-C port, so you can’t plug a wireless receiver (or cabled shotgun) mic into the iPhone. However, the RØDE Magnetic Mount’s cold shoe arms are long enough to give you space to attach mics to your smartphone without the constraints of the phone being in a cage.  The RØDE mount’s magnetic disc kept a strong grip on my iPhone and it only dropped off once (compared to the RØDE Magnetic Phone Cage which was more prone to losing its grip if you placed ‘leverage’ pressure on the phone).

RØDE Magnetic Mount: Verdict

Your iPhone (or smartphone) can do a great job of capturing excellent video and sound on its own, but by using the RØDE Magnetic Mount you can expand its capabilities by attaching third-party lights and mics to elevate your video production values to the next level. However, for the minimal price difference, I’d personally go for the RØDE Magnetic Phone Cage as it has many more cold shoe mounting points, plus threads to attach third-party cage handles for a more secure grip.

✅ Buy it...

• You need to travel light.
• You need to attach LEDs or mics to smartphone.
• You need to attach a tripod for hands-free vlogging.

🚫 Don't buy it...

• You don’t own compatible accessories such as LEDs, mics, and mini-tripods.
• You’d rather use a cage for better grip on your smartphone .

Alternatives

RØDE Phone Cage
The RØDE Phone Cage is the sibling to the RØDE Magnetic Mount in that they both connect magnetically to your MagSafe smartphone/phone case. The RØDE Phone Cage boasts many more connecting points and mounts than the RØDE Magnetic Mount but only costs a few dollars/pounds more. It’s also easier to get a grip on a cage-mounted smartphone to perform camera moves.

SmallRig All-In-One Kit for Smartphones
The RØDE Magnetic Mount is a great piece of kit if you already own accessories such as LEDs and mics. However, it’s just four bits of metal without these peripheral third-party gadgets. If you need a smartphone cage and accessories such as mics, an LED, a mobile tripod, and handles to give you more grip on your souped-up smartphone rig then the All-In-One Kit for Smartphone is a no-brainer to purchase.