Facebook Portal+ And Portal Gallery

Facebook is wading into hardware, with two new video calling stations dubbed Portal+ and Portal. Each gives video calls in Facebook Messenger a device of its own, complete with a 10-inch or 15.6-inch display. The Facebook Portal looks like an Amazon Echo Show or Google Smart Display, while the Portal+ has a much more unusual form-factor with a rotating touchscreen that flips from portrait to landscape.

Facebook cooked up its own voice activation system so you can start video calls from across the room. With a 140-degree field of view, meanwhile, the 12-megapixel camera can not only take in the whole space, but use a digital zoom and person tracking to keep you in frame at all times. Fun filters help make chats more entertaining, whether you're calling someone with a Portal of their own, or just through their Messenger app.

However, video calls aren't all the Portal+ and Portal are good for. Amazon Alexa is also baked in, turning each into a smart speaker. They'll begin shipping later in 2018.