Along its Portal, Facebook offers enjoyers an easy-to-use device essentially for creating hands-free video calls with “friends” via Messenger using simple voice commands (“Hey Portal”), no matter what you happen to be doing. The product is designed to support group calls with up to seven people at a time, whether or not they have a Portal, provided that they are all signed in to Facebook Messenger. The device can also show slideshows of photos from Facebook albums, as well as all the latest notifications from the social network.
Google’s latest addition to its Home range — called the Home Hub — offers users a gateway to the firm’s online services, such as YouTube, Photos or Maps, for listening to music, watching videos, looking at photos or checking a route. It can also be used to control other connected devices (thermostats, lights, etc.)
In terms of specs, Facebook’s standard Portal has a 10-inch display (1280 x 800 pixels) while the Portal+ has a 15-inch screen (1920 x 1080 pixels). Both have Amazon’s Alexa intelligent assistant onboard, as well as a 12-Megapixel camera. There’s no camera on the Google Home Hub, however, which has a slightly smaller 7-inch screen (3000 x 2000 pixels) and has Google Assistant built-in.
Facebook’s Portal and Portal+ sell for $199 and $349 respectively, while the Google Home Hub is priced $149.
