What is Meta Portal?

A Timely Rebrand for Facebook’s Underrated Display

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What Is Meta Portal?
Virtual RealityInsights

Published: November 17, 2021

XR Today Team

As social media giant Facebook rebrands as Meta, several device and app-specific announcements have followed in its wake. Right after Mark Zuckerberg’s keynote at Connect 2021, we learnt that the Oculus brand is no more (at least in a consumer-facing way).

Meta will now be the overarching umbrella brand for the company’s software applications, its hardware products, and the upcoming metaverse offering.

In addition, existing products like Facebook’s VR headsets and portable video calling displays will also be called Meta.

Meta Portal is the new name assigned to the erstwhile Facebook Portal – a series of portable smart displays by the company.

Meta’s VP of AR and VR, Andrew Bosworth, first Meta Portal in his Connect 2021 speech. The same message was repeated by Bosworth in his Facebook post.

What Is Meta Portal?

Meta Portal is a smart video display by social media and immersive reality company, Meta.

It was first launched in 2018 as a series of video phones and smart displays that you could use for video calls on WhatsApp and Messenger (both owned by Meta).

Like most smart displays, Portal is primarily voice-controlled and integrates with Amazon’s Alexa for this functionality.

One of the primary differences between Portal and its Google, Lenovo, Amazon, and other counterparts is portability. One of the variants of Meta Portal – called Portal Go – is powered by a rechargeable battery, so you can move it from one room to another.

It is among the first consumer-grade smart display devices to bring this functionality. Apart from this, Meta Portal offers the following key features:

  • Video calling first – Most smart displays are versatile machines. You can use them for content consumption, have YouTube on in the background as you work or cook, for reminders and notifications, to control your smart home appliances, and for the occasional video call. In contrast, Meta Portal is a video calling device, intended for professional use and WFH. In addition to WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, you can also make calls via Teams, GoToMeeting, BlueJeans, Webex, or Zoom.
  • A powerful camera – Most smart displays have a 1 MP to 5 MP camera with only a few like the latest generation of Amazon Echo Show providing 13 MP. Meta Portal is right up there on the list of top smart displays by camera resolution, with a 12 MP camera that has an ultra-wide field of view. It can capture more than one call participant in the room.
  • Productivity capabilities – Depending on your business need, you can choose a Meta Portal device with the right productivity features. Some variants of Portal come with native compatibility for Microsoft Teams, complete with calendar, contacts, chat, and file sharing. And Meta Portal for Business (currently in closed beta) lets SMBs manage their Facebook Work Accounts.
  • Speakers and music – Meta Portal ships with high-fidelity stereo speakers. You can fetch playlists from apps like Spotify,iHeartRadio, and Pandora and enjoy crystal clear sound quality. The device can also reduce background noise, useful for conducting work calls.
  • Augmented reality (AR) – In line with its new focus on immersive reality, Meta launched AR effects for Portal in July 2021. You can use AR effects to add an augmented reality overlay on top of your camera image when taking video calls. This feature is powered by Facebook’s Spark AR technology which also comes into play when you use the Story Time app on Meta Portal.
  • Portrait and landscape mode – Another feature that sets Meta Portal apart is the ability to change the display’s orientation as per your current needs. For instance, you may want to take conference calls in landscape mode but switch to portrait for one-on-one calls with the other participant on their smartphone. This is particularly helpful when combined with the portability of Meta Portal Go.

Meta Portal Devices and Variants

There have been five variants of the Portal till date, starting from the original 10.1-inch device launched in 2018 up until the Portal for Business offering was announced in Fall 2021.

Note: Portal for Business is a software package that converts any of the other portal devices into a business-grade utility.

The original Meta Portal (formerly Facebook Portal) has been through two iterations – released in 2018 and 2019. It is still widely available, priced at $179. Along with the original Portal, Facebook also launched the bigger 15.6-inch Portal+ in 2018.

The second generation of Portal+ was launched in 2021, this time paired down to 14 inches, but with a smart tilt mechanism. Portal+ offers an immersive video calling experience, almost like a laptop but completely hands-free.

In 2019, Facebook launched Portal Mini which offered a smaller 8-inch display experience. This variant has now been discontinued.

Also in 2019, the company launched the first generation of Portal TV – arguably its most popular and unique offering.

It is essentially a microphone and camera package that connects to your television screen to turn it into a portal device. Portal TV also comes with a remote for input.

Finally, in Fall 2021, Meta launched the Portal Go as well as the Portal for Business offering. Portal Go has a screen identical to the original Meta Portal but includes a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery. This ensures that it can power up to 5 hours of continuous video calling or up to 14 hours of audio playback.

What’s Next with Meta Portal?

The company revived the Portal family of products in 2021 for the first time after its two launches in 219.

This coincides with Facebook’s rebranding as Meta, and the new Meta Portal brand could definitely work in the company’s favour.

Portal launched to slow sales in the first two years, but slowly gained momentum during the pandemic.

Since March 2020, Portal saw a 10X uptick in sales and the momentum is expected to continue under the new Meta branding and the two new products launched this year.

While the smart device segment is gradually reaching saturation (even Microsoft made a play this year), Meta Portal – and the Portal Go in particular – could spark renewed interest. With partnerships with Netflix, Microsoft, and others, and a strong focus towards immersive experience, the future is extremely optimistic for Meta Portal.

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