Anker's new AI smart webcam is made for working from home

Old-school webcams don't cut it when you're working from home in a job that requires frequent face-to-face communications. The latest company to get in on the smart webcam market is Anker with its newly announced AnkerWork-brand PowerConfC300 AI webcam and PowerConfS500 portable conference speaker. Among other things, users can expect smart video framing and three different FOV options.

The AnkerWork PowerConf C300 webcam features a 1080p resolution that, the company claims, offers 'unparalleled' performance in low-light environments. The product's key feature is its integrated AI chipset, enabling the camera to automatically frame the subject in the center of the screen while maintaining focus.

In addition, the webcam features dual stereo microphones and three field-of-view (FOV) options, including ones for close-up shots, mid-view framing, and 115-degree wide-angle shots. Joining the C300 camera is the PowerConfS500 Portable Conference Speaker, which is exactly what its name suggests.

The speaker packs Anker's VoiceRadar tech alongside four microphones, offering both enhanced DSPs and beamforming for picking up the user's voice while filtering out unwanted ambient sounds. For larger working spaces, Anker says users can pair two speaker units and upgrade to 10w of power for conference calls and audio.

Anker says the new S500 conference speaker works with the AnkerWork mobile app, which gives the user access to three different audio pickup patterns tailored to varying use scenarios (multiple people, etc). The PowerConfC300 webcam is available now for $129.99 USD, but the speaker's availability and pricing haven't yet been revealed.