Facebook Portal: a rumored $499 Amazon Echo-like device

Facebook teases a new $499 device that enables voice/video chat with friends.

@anthony256

Published Jan 11, 2018 11:29 PM CST
Updated Nov 3, 2020 12:53 PM CST

36 seconds read time

CES 2018 - Facebook wants to be in your house with microphones and cameras in more ways than one, and instead of just being installed on your smartphone or tablet, the social networking giant is working on a new voice-enabled video chat product called Portal.

Facebook Portal: a rumored $499 Amazon Echo-like device | TweakTown.com

Facebook's purported Portal video device would compete against the likes of Amazon Echo and Google Home, but Facebook will be aiming Portal at family and friends that want to stay in touch, always. Facebook will reportedly launch Portal in May 2018, which should see the device unveiled at their annual F8 developer conference.

Portal would sport a screen that can be used to video chat Facebook friends, and it'll double as a streaming music/video device as well. Facebook will use its partnerships with app makers like Spotify and Netflix, versus Amazon using their in-house ecosystem that includes Prime Video and Music.

NEWS SOURCE:qz.com

Anthony Garreffa

Anthony joined the TweakTown team in 2010 and has since reviewed 100s of graphics cards. Anthony is a long time PC enthusiast with a passion of hate for games built around consoles. FPS gaming since the pre-Quake days, where you were insulted if you used a mouse to aim, he has been addicted to gaming and hardware ever since. Working in IT retail for 10 years gave him great experience with custom-built PCs. His addiction to GPU tech is unwavering and has recently taken a keen interest in artificial intelligence (AI) hardware.