Anker manufactures a wide range of affordable home appliances such as batteries, security cameras, wireless charging holders and more, but now the company is entering the home office with the launch of a new line AnkerWork.
Many people have changed jobs from home during the pandemic, and many jobs are expected to remain remote even when return to the office is possible after the pandemic, so Anker’s pivot in the home office and business equipment seem stopped. And, like other Anker devices, its new AnkerWork devices still contain the same simple, affordable approach that is seen on other Anker devices.
AnkerWork’s first new device is a key part of any modern home office: the PowerConf C300 webcam. At $ 130, the C300 seems to be on the verge of downsizing Logitech’s $ 170 camera, which offers similar specifications, including 1080p / 60fps video recording, dual microphones, and AI-powered tracking technology to help you to keep the face centered on the frame.
The C300 even supports HDR and has an adjustable field of view, with three different settings for closing (78 degrees), normal (90 degrees) and ultra-wide (115 degrees) to better suit your video calling needs. Along with support for Zoom, Teams and all other major video conferencing applications, Anker said the C300 will also support live streaming programs such as XSplit, OBS and others.
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If your local office meetings revolve around large conferences, AnkerWork also features the PowerConf S500 portable speaker. (FYI, the reasoning behind AnkerWork’s naming scheme is that “S” means speaker and “C” means camera.) Based on Anker’s above Bluetooth PowerConf speaker, the S500 has four microphones to help capture 360-degree audio, along with a 10-watt speaker and a built-in battery that provides up to 16 hours of offline call time. The S500 is designed for people who often need group calls while traveling and supports meetings of up to 12 people at a time, although you can chain a pair of S500s to increase the number of participants to 16 or more.
Unfortunately, Anker has not yet released any pricing or release date for the S500. Still, I’ve had a chance to play with the C300, and from my initial tests, I like what I see so far, including good image quality for the price. Out of the box, the C300 doesn’t need any additional software to appear as a generic webcam for Zoom, Google Meet, and the like. However, you’ll need to install the Anker app if you want support for AI-driven auto-framing or AI-enhanced color tuning. Anker’s app was still in beta during testing, so I didn’t get a chance to check out more advanced features like HDR and video recording.
The design of the C300 is simple and includes everything basic, such as an adjustable stand with built-in tripod and a USB-C port and a cable that includes a USB-A adapter for use with older equipment.
I’m also a big fan of the privacy sticker that comes with the C300, which has a simple shutter that you can slide over your webcam lens whenever you want to make sure your feed is locked. It may not seem like much, but compared to the huge plug of the accompanying lens Razer’s Kiyo Pro (which doesn’t have a place to store the lens cap when not in use), Anker’s sliding shutter is a more useful and stylish solution for making sure you don’t spy.
Anker said it expects to launch more Anker Work devices throughout the year. The launch date of the PowerConf S500 is still up in the air, but the PowerConf C300 is available today for $ 130.