Facebook tries to take on Amazon Echo Show with Portal device

The timing might not be the best one but that doesn’t seem to be slowing the company down. Facebook just launched Portal and Portal+, two devices that will let you make voice and video calls to other Facebook and Messenger users. The smaller Portal is like the Amazon Echo Show with a big 10.1-inch display with a 1,280 x 800 resolution and a 10W dual speaker. It has four far-field microphones and a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera.

Meanwhile, the larger Portal+ has a 15.6-inch display with a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution that can be oriented vertically or horizontally. It has the same camera and mic arrangement but with a two tweeter and one woofer arrangement totaling 20W.

The Portal, as mentioned, is built specifically for video calls with the cameras designed to crop into you and even track your movement if you walk around while you’re on a call. On top of this, it also supports music and video services like Facebook Watch, Food Network, Spotify, to name a few. You will also be able to view your photos and videos from your Facebook library. And just like the Echo, it comes with Alexa built in.

Facebook promises that calls are encrypted and that the company will not listen in or save copies of these calls. You will be able to disable the camera and microphone, which you can supposedly disconnect yourself or cover the camera with a Facebook-provided cover.

Now, whether you’re even willing to trust Facebook to put one of its devices in your home is an entirely different matter altogether.

Source: GSMArena