Even the best laptops have a hard time providing a webcam as good as a desktop PC

Founded by former Apple and Beats designers and backed by YouTubers like Casey Neistat and MKBHD, Tadpole is actually Opal's second webcam, the 2021 Opal C1 It is a follow-up product to the Opal C1 launched in 2021 The company's first product was well received and even considered by many to be one of the best webcams available, but its high initial price of $300 made it an expensive upgrade

Now, however, Opal is back with an all-new 4K webcam that it claims to have the best image quality on the market at one-eighth the size of the average webcam The device itself is powered by the same 48MP Sony IMX582 found in many of the best budget phones, and also features six pieces of glass at f18

At 12 inches square and weighing the equivalent of two AA batteries, the Tadpole is the smallest webcam ever made, according to Opal, and works with the best tablets as well as Windows and Mac laptops

The webcam also uses a non-removable braided USB-C cable, which is a clever trick Instead of putting a mute switch on top of the tadpole, Opal put a mute switch on top of the USB-C plug It has a capacitive touch sensor and requires only one tap to mute or un-mute during a video call If that's not cool enough, Tadpole's USB-C cable attaches magnetically to the webcam and acts like a lanyard when not in use

The Opal Tadpole is cool, but at $175 it is quite expensive and will be a difficult upgrade for many to justify; it is still cheaper than the Opal C1, but there are many great There are plenty of webcams out there Similarly, the Logitech Brio is another 4K webcam with a list price of $199, but frequently sells for around $120

The Opal Tadpole is designed specifically with laptops and tablets in mind, but you might wonder if you can use it on the best computers or the best gaming PCs Since the price is likely to reach $200, you might expect this webcam to work on a laptop or You would expect it to work on a desktop as well

However, as 9To5Mac points out, the clip on the back of the Opal Tadpole is very small and thin The webcam clip is great when used on a laptop because you don't have to carry around a camera mount The same cannot be said for desktop users like myself

According to Opal's website, the Tadpole clip can only be opened to a 35-degree angle This would make it difficult to mount on larger monitors, and from what I have seen, the company does not currently sell, nor does it plan to sell, mounts for desktop monitors However, this could change, or a third party could make an aftermarket version

The Opal Tadpole is certainly an interesting new device that sheds light on how laptop makers need to step up their game with regard to webcams We'll have to wait and see the reviews, but for those who travel a lot and want to always look their best on video calls, it may be worth the investment