The smart display market is still young, but there are already major players like Amazon and Lenovo taking part in it. Google is rumored to be joining in soon, and today Facebook confirmed that it's launching its own smart screen device.
The Facebook Portal and Portal+ are now official. These are two smart screen products with a focus on video calling using Facebook Messenger. Each one has a widescreen display and built-in 12MP camera with a 120-degree field of view. The Portal and Portal+ also use AI to improve your video calling experience, with a Smart Cmaera feature that'll automatically pan and zoom to keep you in view and a Smart Sound feature that'll minimize background noise and enhance the voice of whoever is talking.
Facebook says that its Portal devices are "built with privacy and security in mind." Both models come with a camera cover so that you can block the device's camera lens at any time, and you can completely disable both the camera and microphone with one tap.
Facebook goes onto say that it doesn't listen to, view, or keep your Portal video calls. The Portal devices only send voice commands to Facebook servers when you say "Hey Portal", the company adds, and you're able to delete your Portal's voice history at any time. Additionally, the AI tech powering the Smart Camera and Smart Sound features run locally on your Portal device.
Both the Portal and Portal+ can conduct video calls with other Portal devices, but you can also video call with people on smartphones and tablets with Facebook Messenger installed. You can just say "Hey Portal" to begin a video call.
In addition to those video calling features, Facebook Portal and Portal+ come with Amazon Alexa built-in, letting you ask questions, check sports scores, control smart home devices, and more. Both devices have a speaker, too, so that you can use them to listen to music. Spotify, Pandora, and iHeartRadio are available on the device, too, along with Food Network and Newsy.
The standard Portal comes with a 10.1-inch 1280x800 display, 12MP camera, and a 10W speaker with two full-range drivers. The larger Portal+ has a 15.6-inch 1920x1080 screen, 12MP camera, and 20W speaker with two tweets and a single 4-inch bass output.
The Facebook Portal and Portal+ are now available for pre-order from Facebook and Amazon, and both models are expected to launch in November. Pricing is set at $199 for the Portal and $349 for the Portal+. Facebook is offering a discount of $100 if you buy two Portal devices at once.
Many folks have security concerns when it comes to putting smart devices with cameras in their homes, and that'll surely be the case with the Facebook Portal and Portal+, too. Facebook is working to assure everyone that its Portal devices are secure and private, though, offering features like a physical camera cover and a way to disable the camera and microphone with one touch. We'll have to wait and see if those promises of privacy are enough to convince people to put a Portal in their home.
What do you think of Facebook's Portal and Portal+?
