Facebook could soon launch its video chat gadget
Just a day after Amazon's Echo product show, reports have surfaced that Facebook is planning to foray into the consumer tech segment with a product called 'Portal'. The device, which is a dedicated gadget for video chat, could be unveiled as early as next week, Cheddar reported. It is said to take on Amazon's Echo Show with some cool features. Here's a sneak peek.
How the new device would work?
Though there is no official word on the launch of 'Portal', a source familiar with the matter stated the device would function just like Amazons Echo Show, thanks to Alexa support and a range of social features. This way, users would be using it for video conversations as well as for music, video streaming, kitchen assistants, or for the latest news updates.
Unique selling point: AI-backed facial recognition technology
Notably, the key selling point would be its AI-backed facial recognition. This, as the source said, would enable the device to recognize every individual in the frame, associate them with their respective Facebook accounts, and follow them as they moved around. As this might also raise some privacy concerns, 'Portal' will come with a 'privacy shutter' that would cover its lens when not in use.
Facebook planned early launch, but trust issues prevail
Interestingly, we've been hearing about 'Portal' since last year. The video chat device was slated to debut at this year's F8 Developers Conference. However, Facebook had to postpone the launch in the wake of Cambridge Analytica data breach. Also, the case of Russians meddling with 2016 US Presidential elections contributed to the delay and prompted Facebook's Building 8 engineers to develop the privacy shutter.
Further, price could be higher than Echo Show
While Facebook denied commenting on the status of the product, the price tipped by Cheddar's source is pretty hefty, especially considering Echo Show's price. The device is said to come in two variants - a bigger model priced at $400 and a smaller one costing some $100 less. Echo Show, however, costs $230 for the 10-inch model and $130 for the original 7-inch variant.
