Facebook Video Chat Device ‘Portal’ is launching in 2018

The news that Facebook is working on a video chat device did come up but nothing was confirmed. Now a website called Cheddar has confirmed that Facebook will soon launch a video chat device called Portal. It will be launched in late 2018. The cost of the device will be $499.

The design of the device will be customer oriented. The aim is simple, allow users to stay in touch with their family, friends, and colleagues via the Facebook video chat. Voice commands will be part of Facebook Portal, quite like Amazon’s Echo Show. Facial Recognition will be used to recognize the user. There will be a wide-angle lens on the front of the Portal to enable Facial Recognition option. Furthermore Portal will allow users to connect to Netflix, Spotify, and other streaming services.

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Also as the reports, rumors and news go Facebook Portal will not just be about video calls. The app will also allow users to play music and stream video.

Coming to the advantage of this device and how it will benefit Facebook, we are not sure. Facebook already has Facebook Messenger that allows users to voice and video call each other on phones and PCs. Now introducing a completely separate video chat device seems pointless. Also, in video chat market Facebook’s competitors are already ahead of it. Amazon and Google have launched many cheap smart speakers in the market. The price of Amazon Echo Show is $229.99, while Facebook is expected to offer its video device at $499, which is outrageously expensive. Now the expensive price might cause hesitancy amongst the users to purchase it but Mark Zuckerberg believes in changing user behavior over increasing the profits.

Though as per Facebook this is just the start of Facebook-designed products and in near future, Facebook will introduce more products and devices designed by Facebook.