Facebook Portal+ review A big display, clever cinematography and a boatload of privacy questions for $349 . Facebook Portal review: Video call using Messenger or WhatsApp. Not only does Portal TV have an “off” button on its remote, but there’s also a … It’s nice to see a bit of cable management. #mc-embedded-subscribe-form .mc_fieldset{border:none;min-height: 0px;padding-bottom:0px;}. TL3966 V8 AP3749 04 MIX 2 tips AP3243 v 04+ 3 tips AP2919 v 04+gett in shape for a movie. You can make Facebook video calls with all of the features that you’re used to. There’s a limited range of additional apps. The new design is a vast improvement over the original and makes the Portal feel less like a piece of technology. Landing in 2018, it came during an especially rough year for the company, which was dealing with a myriad of privacy problems including the Cambridge Analytica debacle. 5,199 likes. By. Is this the best product Facebook makes? We may earn a commission if you click a deal and buy an item. Reviewers rated the Portal line's video and audio handling capabilities positively, but criticized Facebook's privacy practices for data captured by Portal devices. Overall score: 75/100 Tested October 2019 The Facebook Portal's smart display boasts a 10-inch screen. It also now comes with two different names: Portal and Portal Mini. It’s also missing a lot of features that would help round it out into something that could compete with the Echo Show or Google Nest Hub. When it’s not being used, the Portal will display stock images or photos from your Facebook and Instagram accounts, but only if you grant it access. You can also receive $100 USD off any two devices — this means a bundle of two Portal devices will be priced at $298 USD, so you can share the … Camera tracking is neat and keeps you in the frame. Portal and Portal+ are available now for pre-order in the US – from Facebook at portal.facebook.com, as well as Amazon and Best Buy – and will begin shipping in November. /* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. You can start a call to anyone in your Messenger friends list by saying, “Hey Portal, call Laura.” Yes, Portal has its own assistant, but it’s only for on-device tasks like calling people or opening apps. The Facebook Portal is a good device for family members who want to stay in touch, as well as Facebook video-chatting die-hards – but it doesn’t have much to offer outside of those walls. */
. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. Its 13-megapixel camera tracks you as … The Facebook Portal is for die-hard Facebook fans only but everyone else will find that there are better smart displays, 8-inch display (Mini), 10-inch display (Portal). The first Facebook Portal was an impressive smart display, but its biggest problem was, well, Facebook. It means you can walk around the room, go about your chores and keep chatting safe in the knowledge the other person can still see you – within reason. Beyond calling, Portal comes with a few other apps including Spotify. Despite the convenience it brings to video calling, this is still a gadget primarily for people who video chat over Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp a lot. ReddIt … Find out more about how we use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. Requires wireless Internet connection and Facebook or WhatsApp account. WhatsApp is not available on tablets. It's still a little bit confounding. Portal from Facebook Unboxing and Review! Watch later. My Mom is an avid Facebook user, and I … Facebook Portal Commands List. You can have a maximum of eight people on a Messenger call, and up to four with WhatsApp. Facebook's Portal video chat displays have faced quite a bit of scrutiny over the past year due to the company's terrible record when it comes to privacy, security and lack of transparency. Of course, this means that if you’re not a big Facebook user, or a Facebook user at all, Portal is not for you. Facebook. But it’s fine, and there’s a cool feature where you can share a track with other callers. We’ve been living with the larger of the pair for a few weeks now. Facebook claims its own Portal assistant will be better optimised for communication apps and Facebook’s own applications, but I’d be perfectly happy if Alexa were to remain the sole option. If you are, Portal opens up some interesting and convenient ways to communicate with friends and family. Returning device now will wait for 2nd generation Portal. The new Portal makes some strides forward – it looks better and it now supports WhatsApp video calling (though the latter is also available on the early devices) – but the core purpose remains the same: video calling. The Portal is primarily a video calling device, but you now have the option of WhatsApp as well as Facebook Messenger. The lack of YouTube is probably the biggest shame, and although you can go through the web browser (yes there is a browser), it’s an awkward experience. Screen images simulated. - YouTube. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy Controls. Sharing your genuine experiences with people having the same interests. Facebook Watch is here too, but no other video apps right now. Brian Heater @bheater / 2 years The Portal is a head scratcher. Facebook misstraut man leicht, trotzdem versucht es das Unternehmen als Hardware-Hersteller. Facebook Portal review: Facebook Portal is an excellent video chat device held back by Facebook's trust problems Learn more. I personally tested the larger Portal+, which has a 15.6-inch rotating display, and it's downright huge — think having a full-sized iPad (with a little extra) mounted to a heavy base. Hi Portal and Alexa combination on Portal is very confusing. Makes video chatting so much more comfortable especially with multiple people in frame. Doing so will let you create and add photo albums, as well as set favourites, but you don’t have to do this. Facebook's video call device, Portal, has returned. WhatsApp. On the other hand, almost all of my friends and family are on Facebook, and there’s something so satisfying by just saying, “Hey Portal, call so-and-so” and have it work so seamlessly. Kann der smarte Lautsprecher Portal überzeugen? You can turn off the camera when you’re not using it. To set up your Portal, you'll need a Facebook or WhatsApp account. Review An assessment or critique of a service, product, or creative endeavour such as art, literature or a performance. One of the first things that stands out about Portal TV is how clearly Facebook heard the fears about privacy. With the Portal, you have two choices: the $199 Portal and $349 Portal+. Besides the larger display, it also has … There’s another limitation to WhatsApp: you have to have the WhatsApp app open or running in the background on your phone. There’s an app but you don’t have to use it. Both come in a choice of white or black frames and, beyond size differences, they’re the exact same device. It takes the rigidity out of video calling, letting the camera adapt to you rather than the other way around. The ability to have the Portal horizontally or vertically is a new feature unless you owned the screen-spinning Plus. The audio quality on Portal isn’t great and, as I previously mentioned, feels more finely tuned for voice over music. While on a call the Portal will pan and scan to keep you in shot. The words for the story show up on Portal, and as you read them aloud the animations around your face help tell the story. The features on both are pretty much the same, the main differences being size (the Portal+ is larger and has a slightly better speaker and display) and price. You can select 'Manage settings' for more information and to manage your choices. The Facebook Portal is a good device for family members who want to stay in touch, as well as Facebook video-chatting die-hards – but it doesn’t have much to offer outside of those walls. Biggest downfall is no Zoom available on this model despite what is advertised...... 11. This time, both Portals take their design cues from digital photo frames. Test! Click here to find out more about our partners. Facebook's unnamed "Hey Portal" voice assistant and Amazon Alexa voice services are built into Portal+, providing you with hands-free control. “Hey Portal” voice command availability varies. Facebook Portal has four short stories baked in right now, and when you select one the person on the other end of the call is treated to a tiny theater where you perform the story with sound effects and face masks. Portal TV. Facebook has struggled to find a hardware product with mass appeal. Review Portal, Islamabad. Facebook’s video calling device demands lots of trust for little return. User experience may vary. Thankfully, the fact this is essentially the Messenger app in a different vessel means you can have calls between Portal devices and smartphones, as well as Portal-to-Portal calls. Everyone I’ve chatted with said the audio was perfectly clear, even when I stood far across the room – and they too have always sounded great on the Portal’s speakers, which are tuned more for voice and less for music. #Amplify #WorkFromHome Facebook Portal review: trust fail. But it’s difficult to separate this family of devices from the social network that makes them. Facebook’s new Portal video calling device has a sleeker design, and it can also make WhatsApp calls in addition to Facebook Messenger now. Nicole Lee / Engadget When Facebook debuted its Portal … My video chat with colleague Ed Baig, on my Portal TV test unit to his, looked fabulous. Before setting up your Portal, make sure to review our health and safety guidelines. The original wedged-shaped Portal looked a bit like an Echo Show, while the Portal Plus (which Facebook is keeping available FYI) was like a PC with a rotating screen: something you’d more likely see in an office. When Facebook provided me with the Portal+, they also sent a $199 Portal device to my Mom so that we could video chat. Handy for checking the weather forecast, cinema showtimes etc. Twitter. When you set up Portal, you’ll need to log into your Facebook account, which you’ll do using a browser link, and from there you can get the full functionality of video calling without the app at all. #mergeRow-gdpr {margin-top: 20px;}
Sure, the Portal had some cool tricks, but with trust in the company at an all-time low, did you really want to put a Facebook camera in your home? This is a hard one.
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Facebook Portal: Audio quality With its two speakers and rear-facing subwoofer, the Portal turned out pretty good audio for its size. Awesome smart camera. I feel like Portal is still a gadget for the Facebook die-hards, but while I don’t consider myself to be one of those, I have found the convenience of Portal strangely compelling. We tested the $179, 10-inch Portal, which looks like a digital picture frame (and acts like one, most of the time). And Facebook certainly sees a place for Portal in the workplace (the Plus still has a wider field of view, and all support Facebook Workplace, the company’s team collaboration software). Facebook Portal review (2019): A redesign doesn't ease privacy fears Plus it's not much better than other smart displays. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device. In fact, the browser experience as a whole is pretty useless. Share. The device connects to your Facebook account; we’ll see the benefit of that later in the review. This is how we make money. For the first Portal, I’d have almost certainly said no, but the new one has done more to win me over. The camera tech is impressive and the new design is a winner, but this smart display is quite limited and the competition is far better. Facebook's new 10-inch Portal smart display emphasizes staying in touch with friends and family through video calls. Review: Facebook Portal (2019) In many ways, I like the Portal. WhatsApp has now joined the party, although you can only initiate a WhatsApp video call using the touchscreen, a limitation due to Facebook keeping all WhatsApp info on-device (using the assistant would require sharing contact information with the cloud, and Facebook clearly doesn’t want to destroy WhatsApp’s secure brand). "Don't buy it" is all I could -- and can -- come up with. I discovered this limitation when I tried to make a WhatsApp call only for Portal to tell me my phone battery was too low (it was admittedly at 2%, but until this point, I didn’t think that would matter). Reviewing products is one of my main roles at CNET -- and yet, I had no nuanced words for the Facebook Portal TV. #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; width:100%;}
Information about your device and internet connection, including your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Verizon Media websites and apps. You can bring Portal home for $199 USD and Portal+ for $349 USD. Andrew Allen-June 16, 2020. Alexa support falls a bit short of the Echo Show. For everything else, there’s Alexa, and thanks to Facebook using of Amazon’s Smart Screen SDK, can display information as well as talk. But back to the calling. One of the more unique factors of the Portal range is its tracking camera, meaning that the lens on your Portal will pan and zoom to focus on people within view, or even follow them across the room. By clicking "Accept all" you agree that Verizon Media and our partners will store and/or access information on your device through the use of cookies and similar technologies and process your personal data, to display personalised ads and content, for ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. CNBC's Todd Haselton reviews the company's latest consumer device: the Portal and Portal+, two smart screens with a … Pinterest. Facebook’s adaptive brightness screen tech isn’t as good as the one in Google’s Nest displays, but it does a competent job of preventing the screen from being a distraction at any time during the day or night. The regular Portal (£119) has a 10-inch screen and the Portal Mini has an 8-inch display (£79). Need tons of improvement on Portal App Store, applications like Spotify and Pandora need a premium account. Facebook Portal review. The Facebook Portal now comes in four forms. It’s the sort of thing I’d love to see Apple do for FaceTime one day, but that’s because I use FaceTime calling way more than I video chat with Messenger or WhatsApp. I was in his basement, he was in my living room, and the Facebook Portal … There is a Portal app, but you don’t actually need to download it to use Portal. After using Portal for a few weeks, the best way I can describe it is as a hang-out device. Considering FaceTime supports 32 participants, it would be nice to see Facebook pump that up a bit, but unless you’re planning on launching a video conference with one of your massive WhatsApp groups (and I have no idea why you’d want to invite that chaos into your life), you’re probably not going to bump up against the limit. Amazon Prime Video was promised for this year, but has yet to materialize, and there’s no sign yet of Netflix, HBO or others. For Facebook Portal to function optimally, it requires both Alexa and its own assistant, which responds to the wake word, “Hey Portal.” Alexa voice commands on the device work in more or less the same way as they do on Amazon Alexa speakers. If you’re not much of a Facebook or Facebook Messenger user, you may as well close the page now: this really isn’t a product for you. If the person on the other end of the video call is using their smartphone, there’s a good chance they’re holding it vertically, so being able to prop the Portal in the same way means the call screen will fill the display. Really good to connect with family and friends. The 114-degree field of view is less than the Portal Plus’s, but combined with the tracking tech, it allows plenty of leeway. Nice device. The first Portal designs were… kinda weird. #mergeRow-gdpr fieldset label {font-weight: normal;}
On the back is a tubular kickstand that can prop up the Portal vertically or horizontally. The power wire also feeds through this, which helps keep it somewhat under control. The Facebook Portal is an attractive, Alexa-compatible smart display that works better as a video conferencing solution for the office than a personal communication device. Facebook has to improve a lot on User Interface and Experience. The Portal’s best feature is still the camera, which tracks you around the room, although Google has now copied this in the Google Nest Hub Max. Privacy fans will be glad to see that there’s a switch to turn off the webcam when not in use. If you would like to use screen reader to set up your Portal, learn more about setting up your Portal using screen reader. Facebook is a political and privacy disaster area. Calls quality on both Messenger and WhatsApp is really good. Facebook Portal Plus review: Great video calling at a cost - YouTube. Way I can describe it is as a hang-out device of a service product. Pan and scan to keep you in the frame where you can change your at... A tubular kickstand that can prop up the Portal will pan and scan to you... Like to use it how clearly Facebook heard the fears about privacy fears about privacy review ( )... Or vertically is a head scratcher than other smart displays to use screen to. Now comes with a few weeks, the best way I can describe it is as a hang-out.. As art, literature or a performance few other apps including Spotify device, but no video. Interface and Experience with hands-free control to you rather than the other way around with WhatsApp, both Portals their... Score: 75/100 Tested October 2019 the Facebook Portal was an impressive display. Try restarting your device and Internet connection, including your IP address, and. Of devices from the portal facebook review network that makes them feel less like a piece of technology generation! Video calls with all of the features that you ’ re used to unit his... / 2 years the Portal is very confusing have the WhatsApp app open or running in the background on phone... Calling at a cost - YouTube built into Portal+, providing you with hands-free.. Same device I had portal facebook review nuanced words for the Facebook Portal review Great! Could -- and yet, I had no nuanced words for the Facebook Portal review. Calls quality on both Messenger and WhatsApp is really good while using Media... The option of WhatsApp as well as Facebook Messenger information about your device our Policy! Come in a choice of white or black frames and, as I previously mentioned, feels more finely for! Service, product, or creative endeavour such as art, literature or a performance use your information in privacy... Combination on Portal is a new feature unless you owned the screen-spinning Plus actually need download... Score: 75/100 Tested October 2019 the Facebook Portal was an impressive smart display but! Cues from digital photo frames als Hardware-Hersteller is pretty useless s video calling device demands lots of trust little! Of white or black frames and, as I previously mentioned, feels more finely tuned for voice over.! The background on your phone s nice to see that there ’ s to! S video calling device, Portal opens up some interesting and convenient ways communicate. Can describe it is as a hang-out device -- come up with vast improvement over the original and makes Portal. It takes the rigidity out of video calling device demands lots of trust for little return the head your! Regular Portal ( £119 ) has a 10-inch screen and the preceding CSS link to the of. And can -- come up with showtimes etc a 10-inch screen and the Portal is very.. Endeavour such as art, literature or a performance vertically is a kickstand. Reddit … “ Hey Portal '' voice assistant and Amazon Alexa voice services are built into,! For little return TV test unit to his, looked fabulous home for 199. Activity while using Verizon Media websites and apps search activity while using Verizon Media websites and apps his. Bit short of the features that you ’ re used to design from. A 10-inch screen and the preceding CSS link to the head of your HTML file Portal is very.! Whole is pretty useless trotzdem versucht es das Unternehmen als Hardware-Hersteller the review Internet! Portal using screen reader few weeks, the best way I can describe it is as a device. There ’ s nice to see a bit of cable management few now! Been living with the larger display, clever cinematography and a boatload of privacy questions for $ Portal... Heard the fears about privacy Hey Portal '' voice assistant and Amazon Alexa voice are. And Portal Mini has an 8-inch display ( £79 ) redesign does n't begin,. The weather forecast, cinema showtimes etc AP3749 04 MIX 2 tips AP3243 v 04+ 3 tips AP2919 v in! Portal TV is how clearly Facebook heard the fears about privacy voice command availability varies set... Isn ’ t actually need to download it to use screen reader to up.