But I set it up at my desk anyway, and, surprising myself, started relying on it. I couldn't see myself using it for much more than for video calls. And if my parents walked in, the camera widened its view so I could see everyone.Īt first, I didn't see how the Portal was much different from an iPad, and it offers similar features to the Amazon Echo Show. As I talked to my brother while he walked through the kitchen in my childhood home, for example, the camera panned across the room, always keeping him in view and making me feel like I was there despite being thousands of miles away. They thought the Portal would provide me with a dedicated way to connect with family and friends, and they felt the smart camera feature offered a more immersive video chat experience than similar devices did at the time. And the Portal Go is portable.Ī few weeks into my first year of college, my parents sent me the Facebook Portal since I was living away from home for the first time.

Notably, you can now video call through platforms like WhatsApp, Zoom and Webex in addition to Facebook messenger (you have to log into the device using your Facebook or WhatsApp account). The company has been in the news recently after launching a pair of smart glasses with Ray-Ban and telling advertisers it underreported ad performance on iPhones due to Apple’s recent iOS privacy changes.īuilding on the company’s other Portal models - which equip a camera that automatically pans and zooms as you move (similarly to Center Stage on select iPads) - the new releases offer features a Portal user since 2018, like me, always wished my first-generation device had. Facebook recently introduced two new Portal devices: the Portal Go and the Portal+, both of which are available for pre-order now and start shipping Oct.

Portal tv zoom update