I’ve used a lot of Poly products over the years, and they have really found their niche in this ultra-connected covid forced video conferencing world. The Poly Studio P21 is a fine example of thinking outside the box, and while not suited to everyone, I can see the market need.

For me, when I think of Video Conferencing accessories, I think of a Webcam, maybe a headset microphone or headphones.

But the Poly Studio P21 is an all-in one, for those who are doing a lot of Video calls.

Put everything out of your mind, and now imagine you’re buying a second screen for your desktop setup, or a standalone monitor for your laptop.

Now imagine that monitor has built in sound, lighting and a high-quality camera which is everything you need for video calls.

Alternatively, in a small or medium office, imagine in a meeting room you add this monitor for people to use for Video calls, connecting whomever’s device is hosting the meeting.

It’s basically a high-tech second screen.

And it works a charm.

In fact on the front of the screen between the screen and the speaker are even touch controls for video conference features like mute and volume, and a dedicated button to launch Zoom or Teams.

Lighting is built into the side of the screen and can be manipulated by touch controls.

In my use, I found the audio quality to be amazing given its an integrated unit, and from what people on the other side say, the video quality was also above par, and that’s always a good way to stand out.

My only gripe is that the lighting really doesn’t add much, it felt almost useless at times, but that might also be because I’m in a well lit room.

It’s not cheap, you’ll find it online for $1,200 plus, but as I say, if video calls is your new thing, it may be all you need for that upgraded deskspace.

Web: Poly