The Facebook Portal TV is an attractive little black bar that measures 1.25 by 7.50 by 2.25 inches (HWD) on a folding, rubberized metal foot that can go above or below your TV. After all, the company doesn't exactly have a stellar reputation on security and privacy. Those two services collectively account for roughly 40 percent of the world’s population, so there’s a good chance you’ll find someone you know. However, with competition from the likes of the Amazon Echo Show and Google Home Hub, as well as rising privacy concerns when it comes to smart home tech and Facebook, the big question is: should you buy a Facebook Portal? Let’s start with Alexa. Give credit where it’s due: With the original Portal, Facebook figured out a problem when making video calls from a smart display. Rather than being a smart screen you can easily keep on a kitchen counter or coffee table, it relies on your TV. NY 10036. We take a look at all of the Facebook Portal devices currently available to buy, what makes them stand out from the crowd and why they might (or might not) be worth adding to your smart home too. Visit our corporate site. Facebook Portal and Amazon Echo Show both use Alexa, have 10-inch screens, and offer up great entertainment options. It also looks nicer than the original, and can do more stuff, especially when you’re using Alexa on the Portal. $152 AUD) and Portal TV (£99 / $149 / approx. However, you can expand YouTube videos to full screen. All rights reserved. There are also other software settings for privacy, including turning off the camera and microphone, as well as a physical mute switch and small camera cover on all of the devices. More importantly, Alexa visual skills are now available on the Portal, so if you want to turn on your smart lights, a slider will appear on-screen, letting you adjust their brightness. Facebook offers the Portal in three versions. Because you can’t carry a display around as you would a phone or tablet, you’re usually stuck in one spot, and the person on the other end of the line won’t be able to see you if you move. Unlike a lot of smart home gadgets — including the original Portal — the second-generation Facebook Portal doesn’t look like some wacky device from the future. Is the second-generation Portal a much better device than the original? The Portal TV is a little different. This is essentially the same device, but with a much bigger 15.6-inch display. You will receive a verification email shortly. The Facebook Portal TV attaches to your current TV with an HDMI cable. Please refresh the page and try again. The Portal Mini is just like the Portal and Portal Plus, but it has an 8-inch display for smaller rooms and surfaces. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Sign up to get breaking news, reviews, opinion, analysis and more, plus the hottest tech deals! This is good because there's limited support for home video calls through your TV with other services (especially because Skype shuttered its smart TV app) but in our Facebook Portal review we weren't impressed by the fairly low camera quality. It's simple to use and has lots of fun features. Camera: 13 MP, 114-degree field of view It has Alexa built-in and can be used to play music, check the feed from other smart products (like a Ring video doorbell), display photos, play with AR effects and more. With the evolution of the Facebook reviews system, you can use a platform such as EmbedReviews to help you generate the new recommendations posted on your Facebook Page. Luckily Facebook has built-in a bunch of privacy features to make users feel a little more comfortable. But the Facebook Portal does one thing exceptionally well: Video calls using Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. Yes. We'll be updating this section as we spend more time with the new Portal smart screens. A year later and Facebook has refreshed its Portal devices and added two more to the Portal family: the Portal Mini and Portal TV. Audio during video calls was equally strong. All other terms and conditions of our standard return terms … Fast-forward a year later and Facebook announced a second-generation of Portal devices, including the Portal Mini (£79 / $129 / approx. Where are all the cheap Xbox Series X and PS5-friendly 4K 120Hz TVs? The Portal comes with 18 bookmarked webpages, which include Yelp, ESPN, Twitch, Instagram, Google, YouTube, and, of course, Facebook. Display: 10 inches (1280 x 900 pixels) But unless Facebook makes drastic improvements to its assistant, there’s very little reason to use it in favor of Alexa. Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer, We check over 130 million products every day for the best prices, Sony 2021 TV lineup revealed with OLED, 8K and Google TV for all, Samsung's 2021 soundbars are getting killer upgrades — here's how, Acer unveils stunning 275 Hz gaming monitor — and it costs more than PS5 and Xbox Series X combined, Acer Chromebook Spin 514 packs AMD Ryzen power into 2-in-1, Lenovo laptops get more Alexa with Show Mode, Where to buy PS5 — Best Buy has restock right now, Excellent at video calls through Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, Facebook voice assistant not as good as Alexa. “Hey Portal, play WBGO” was continually misinterpreted, as was my ask to stream 97.5 the Fanatic. The Facebook Portal Mini is great for smaller spaces and kitchen worktops. Size: 10.2 x 7 x 0.8 inches (excluding stand). Connect with friends, family and other people you know. Facebook's Portal TV is the best way to video chat with friends and family right now. The Facebook Portal and larger Facebook Portal Plus smart displays were first released in late 2018. Microphones: 4 You can add functionality to the Portal by installing apps and websites; currently, there are only 12 apps available, including Spotify, iHeartRadio, Pandora, FB Gaming, ABC News Live, Food Network, Story Time, and a web browser. If you do a lot of video calling with friends and family, the Facebook Portal, Portal Plus or Portal Mini could be worthy contenders for a smart display so you don't always have to use your smartphone or tablet. Come and Chill. W hich brings us to 2019, Portal’s second coming: Portal TV, which turns your television into a video conference call machine. One fun aspect of video calls via the Portal are all the filters you can apply not just to yourself, but to the other people on the call. ... Portal-to-Portal Facebook calls work brilliantly, and the picture quality is excellent. $191 AUD). Now, you can view everything that the Portal heard, and delete each recording individually, or all at once. Visit our corporate site. A year later, it's clear Facebook is going all-in on its smart displays. We also reviewed the larger Portal+ early last year. Read the rest of our Facebook Portal review to see if its benefits outweigh its issues. It also has a microphone that minimizes background noise. It's a smart video-calling device that has a 10-inch display and is a rival to the Amazon Echo Show. You can slide the button to turn off just the camera, but leave the microphone on, too. Facebook is the largest social media platform in the world. Editor's note (October 6, 2020): We've updated this review as Facebook has added new features to the Portal. By Mike Prospero 06 October 2020 Return requests must be completed by end of day January 31, 2021 (local time) to be eligible. 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