Concept Pari – Dell’s Upcoming innovative wireless webcam
What is Concept Pari?
Concept Pari is the pre-production name for the latest webcam from Dell which might get unveiled at the upcoming CES 2022.
Cool name but why do we need a new webcam? Don’t we already have the UltraSharp 4K webcam from Dell itself which has cool features like AI framing, the field of view, exposure, etc? And that already comes with a heavy price tag.
Moreover using a 4K webcam for your online meetings like Zoom & Microsoft Teams takes a heavy toll on the internet bandwidth and most tools compress the video anyways or you may drop the setting to lower resolution as the focus is more on stability rather than resolution. So what problem is Dell trying to solve here?
Well, they are trying to solve the problem of the camera angle to give you the flexibility of attaching it magnetically to the screen itself. So you can look directly and create a more engaging experience in your virtual meetings. So now you will have a “wireless” webcam that can not only sit on the conventional top of the screen bezel but also anywhere on the screen.
Remember the teleprompters? They solve the issue where someone can read the script by looking directly at the camera for a more natural experience and not look like a robot. Dell is trying to use that approach with their latest innovation.
Traditionally the laptop’s integrated webcam is usually at the top center of the screen bezel, and Dell’s XPS 13 was placed at the bottom corner which exposed more nose hair than the face. That XPS 13 had many other flaws, and that is out of the scope of this article.
Sounds interesting, isn’t it? Yes indeed but the caveat is that you need to have a “supported screen” that can attach it to the surface. At this time we do not know which monitors will support this magnetic attachment.
What is the cost?
The price is not released, and it is still a prototype. But since the Dell UltraSharp, 4K itself is approx SGD 300 (approx US$ 220) excluding local taxes, We can expect it to be more than that, or maybe Dell will surprise us with their pricing. Only time will tell. However, if you end up buying a compatible monitor to make full use of this webcam, then that will drive most people away.
No one will upgrade their monitor, just to fit this camera on the screen which is the main selling point of this webcam. However, maybe all the future devices may get a supported screen, and at that point, this would be an ideal buy.
So all eyes are on CES 2022 to learn more about Concept Pari.
