Facebook launches new versions of its Portal video-calling screen
Facebook has launched two new versions of its Portal video calling tablets, including the first that can be carried around the house.
The Portal+ is an updated version of its bigger video calling screen, which has a 14-inch display and gets rid of the old design that allowed it to be rotated, in favour of a screen that can be moved up and down.
The Portal Go is the first version of the Facebook hardware that works with a battery, so that it can be taken around the house and used on the move. It sits in a charging dock the rest of the time
Facebook’s Portal was originally launched at the end of 2018. It was initially remarkable mostly for the negative reaction given that it included a camera and came soon after the Cambridge Analytica scandal, with commentators wondering whether people trusted Facebook enough to have yet more access to their house.
The company continued to sell them, however, and benefited from the increased interest in video calling in 2020 and 2021 as people looked to keep in touch through lockdowns.
Facebook offers a number of privacy features intended to help calm any worries abotu security. They include the option to disable the microphone and block the camera, both of which work as physical switches so they cannot be overridden by Facebook or anyone else.
The new Portal Go will cost $199 and the Portal+ will cost $349, or the same amount in pounds. They will go on sale on 19 October.
The battery on the Portal Go is expected to last for up to five hours of one-on-one calling thorugh Messenger, Facebook said, though the exact length of time will depend on a range of factors including which apps are used.
Alongside the new hardware, Facebook also announced that it would be bringing new video calling services to the Portal platform. It will support Microsoft Teams from December, and will have access to WhatsApp’s new multi-device mode, which allows it to be used on a variety of devices at once.
It also announced a new Household mode that will let the Portal be used by different people around the house, with the owner giving access to specific apps and contacts that can be opened by anyone. A young child would be able to call their grandparents from their parent’s account without being able to phone anybody else, for instance.
