Facebook Portal Smart Display Uses Alexa to Tackle Video Chat Market
Facebook enters the smart display market with two Portal models designed primarily for video chatting. The devices rely entirely on Amazon's Alexa for voice assistant capabilities instead of a proprietary solution.
Facebook officially launches the Portal, a new smart display available in 15-inch and 10-inch models priced at $349 and $199 respectively. The devices focus heavily on video chatting through Facebook Messenger, featuring a smart camera that automatically tracks and keeps users in frame. While the 15-inch model features a rotating stand for landscape and portrait viewing, the 10-inch version closely resembles the recently announced second-generation Amazon Echo Show.
Instead of building its own comprehensive voice assistant, Facebook integrates Amazon Alexa to handle the majority of voice commands and smart home tasks. This strategic decision gives the Portal immediate access to over 40,000 Alexa skills and spares Facebook from the difficult process of training a voice AI to understand various accents and complex queries. Users only need to say "Hey Portal" specifically to initiate a video call, while all other requests go directly to Alexa.
Despite its deep integration with Facebook Messenger, the Portal currently does not allow users to browse the social network or send text messages from the device. Having two separate wake words means both Facebook and Amazon voice services constantly listen for their respective triggers. This partnership ultimately benefits Amazon by expanding Alexa's reach into Facebook's massive user base.