Dell’s magnetic wireless webcam concept helps you forget about the infamous nose camera

If you asked me to guess which company is redesigning webcam positioning, I wouldn’t name Dell. That’s because I still remember the infamous Dell XPS webcam, which is sadly featured in a picture that provided a view of countless XPS users right out of their noses for years. But Dell wants another, bigger reason for you to associate it with fun webcams, and ironically, the company aims to install webcams in the most ideal place.

Last week, Dell unveiled the Concept Pari to the press (at the same event where the Concept Luna refurbished PC was shown). This is a prototype 1080p webcam that can be removed from the holster with a simple click and placed where the magnets work. The idea is that the camera will continue to send video to a connected computer over Wi-Fi even from a couple of feet away. The most obvious use case for Concept Pari is to stick it directly on your computer display, rather than on the front panel. This creates a more intimate space for conversation with your interlocutors at a great distance, bringing their opinion of you to eye level.

“It can be placed directly – anywhere – on compatible displays, in a charging dock, on a stand, or even held in your hand,” Glen Robson, Dell Technologies Group CTO of Client Solutions, explained in a blog post today.

Dell has come a long way since 2015, when, as NotebookCheck recalls, it placed the XPS 13’s webcam in an unfortunate position: in the bottom left corner of the laptop’s bottom bezel. I still have a front cam laptop and, let me tell you, it’s very hard to avoid getting shot up unless you raise the car very high. The snapshot is not only unattractive, but also makes serious professional calls almost impossible. However, the camera remained there until 2019 when Dell finally removed the nose camera from the XPS 13 and also from the XPS 15.

The webcam is not just for improving the look of your face. In theory, this can also help you look more professional. Dell introduced the camera as a presentation tool, allowing workers to showcase things like sketches and prototypes more easily.

The whole thing weighs about an ounce. It also has a microphone and indicator light to help improve visibility. When the Concept Pari is not in use, it is in a holster that can be placed on the monitor and charged.

The prototype has a resolution of 1080p, which is enough for most cases. But some brands, including Dell, offer 4K webcams. Resolution is one of the things Dell will have to balance if the Concept Pari becomes a real product, along with price and battery life – that will also affect 4K performance.

But Concept Pari is just a prototype. There’s no way to tell how long Dell’s true wireless magnetic webcam will last, or if it will release one at all. Dell today announced a project featuring Concept Stanza, an 11-inch screen that can be used for collaboration, note-taking and screen mirroring, and Concept Flow, a workspace with wireless charging and a Wi-Fi 6E docking station. This is all just a demo of features and/or products that Dell could potentially introduce one day.

Still, it’s nice to see Dell moving as far away from nose camera territory as possible, even if it’s just a prototype.