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Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed two new members of the Portal From Facebook family of video calling devices in a Facebook Live video Tuesday.
Portability comes to video calling with the Portal Go, which includes a 12-megapixel Smart Camera with an ultrawide field of view for immersive video calls, as well as an integrated handle and long-lasting battery to enable conversations to move from room to room.
The device, which can also serve as a portable speaker, will retail for $199.
The next-generation Portal+, priced at $349, also includes a 12MP Smart Camera with an ultrawide field of view and stereo speakers, and its 14-inch screen enables people to see up to 25 people at a time during a Zoom call.
Facebook said in a blog post Tuesday, “With the rise of remote and hybrid work models, Portal+ makes a perfect dedicated screen for work calls, freeing up your computer to take notes, view a presentation or multitask.”
The two new devices will begin shipping Oct. 19.
Facebook also detailed several new features and updates across the Portal From Facebook family of devices.
The new Household Mode enables devices to be shared with anyone in the home, letting people provide access to the subset of applications and contacts they wish to share.
The home screen was redesigned for Portal, Portal Go, Portal Mini and Portal+ to bring users a more personalized experience, including updates and recommendations, and this change will be rolled out to Portal TV soon, as well.
Favorite contacts will be joined on the home screen by notifications such as pending Messenger Rooms invitations or missed video calls, and users will see suggestions for apps to engage with, such as playlist recommendations for Spotify, as well as notifications for birthdays, which will debut next month.
Facebook’s Watch Together experience is now available to friends who are on laptops, phones or tablets via Messenger From Facebook. It had only been a Portal-to-Portal option. This update is available in the U.S., with international support coming later this year.
WhatsApp multi-device support, which enables people to use the Facebook-owned messaging app on four non-phone devices simultaneously, was extended to the Portal family.
Support for Microsoft Teams will be added to all touch-based Portal devices in December, giving users access to features including calendar, chat, contacts and file sharing.
Portal’s new Calendar App enables people to sync their work calendars from Outlook or Google, and it integrates with the video calling services that are supported by portal. Facebook wrote, “Portal frees up your primary computer screen to make context switching between work documents and video calling easier and help you feel more organized and productive. It’s easier to be present with your co-workers while you take notes, capture action items or reference material for a conversation.”
Finally, the company introduced Portal for Business, a service that enables small and midsized businesses to deploy and manage devices, as well as to create and manage Facebook Work Accounts for their teams.
Facebook Work Accounts let businesses use their own company email addresses to set up Portal devices, and access to other work products from Facebook will be added in the coming year.
And Portal Device Manager enables companies to manage devices set up by employees with access to Portal for Business, including control over Facebook Work Accounts, device settings, device status and the ability to reboot or factory reset devices, all remotely.
Portal for Business is currently in closed beta in the U.S.
