But can he fight Google or Amazon at the top of the best smart displays Game? The Facebook portal is the brand’s 10-inch smart display that launched in 2019, and now it has been joined by a new battery-powered version, known as Facebook portal Go. The brand also offers a larger 14-inch version called Facebook Portal Plus, but for most people the 10-inch screen will be sufficient.
Both are ideal if you want a device primarily for video calling, as these are the only smart displays that allow you to make WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger video calls, and they are likely to be heavily discounted on Black Friday and Cyber. Monday. But other than how they’re powered, you’re probably wondering what exactly the differences are, and whether they’re both worth investing in.
Best offers Facebook Portal Go and Facebook Portal
Read on to find out how these smart displays stack up – or, if you know which Facebook portal you want, check out the best prices right now for both products below:
Price
The Facebook Go portal will take you back $ 199 / £ 199 / AU $ 279 while the Facebook portal costs $ 169 / £ 169 / $ 279, which means that in the UK and US it’s slightly more affordable than Portal Go. However, we’re not surprised at the price difference, as adding a rechargeable battery to a device will naturally increase the cost.
As smart screens disappear, the Facebook Portal Go and Facebook Portal are slightly more affordable than other similarly sized devices on the market. The Amazon Echo Show 10, costs $ 249.99 / £ 239.99 / AU $ 399.99 while the Google Nest Hub Max is priced at $ 229 / £ 219 / $ 349.
Design
While the Facebook Portal Go and the Facebook Portal both have 10-inch screens, you can easily tell them apart due to their slightly different appearance.
The Facebook Portal Go has a wedge-shaped design, wrapped in gray mesh fabric with the screen on the front. Measuring 6.84 x 10.1 x 3.1 inches, it’s slightly smaller than the Facebook portal and is powered by a rechargeable battery which, with a built-in handle, makes it easy to move between rooms.
The Facebook portal is more like a photo frame with its rectangular design, while the bracket on the back allows it to be positioned in portrait or landscape orientation. It measures 7.03 x 10.2 x 5.6 inches which makes it slightly larger than the Portal Go and it is available in black and white finishes. It is also powered by the mains.
Both smart displays have the same HD display with 1200 x 800 resolution and an adaptive lighting feature that automatically adjusts the brightness to suit your surroundings. However, when it comes to audio, the two devices differ slightly.
The Facebook Portal Go has two 5W tweeters and one 20W tweeter, which is not surprising given that Facebook also offers the device as a portable speaker for the home.
Meanwhile, the Facebook portal only has one 10W speaker and cannot match the enveloping sound and sense of bass offered by Facebook Portal Go.
However, the original portal trumps the Facebook Go portal when it comes to camera quality. It has a 13-megapixel camera compared to the Portal Go’s 12-megapixel lens. That said, when testing, we didn’t feel there was a significant difference in the quality of the camera. image during video calls using both devices.
The Portal Go has a wider field of view of 125 degrees compared to the 103 degrees offered by the Portal. Although more is visible in the image, we found that the fisheye effect created by this larger lens was slightly detrimental to the image.
Characteristics
When it comes to basic smart display features, the Facebook Go portal and the Facebook portal are a great fit. Both allow you to make video calls using Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp as well as conferencing apps like Zoom, WebEx, and GoTo Meeting.
While the camera’s megapixels may differ, both have the ability to automatically pan and zoom to ensure you’re always in the center of the frame during a video call, even if you get up and move around the area. room.
In testing, we found both to be extremely smooth when panning and zooming, and we were impressed that the camera didn’t move for small movements, like we were moving around in our seat.
There is also a built-in web browser in both smart displays, which besides searching for information on the web, also allows watching some video streaming services like Prime Video and YouTube on the smart display. However, some like Netflix cannot be viewed at all. We asked Facebook why, but they haven’t responded yet.
Amazon’s Alexa is also built into the two smart displays, so you can set timers, control your smart home devices, and even check out the latest sports headlines or scores. However, there is also the option to use “Hey Portal” – Facebook’s basic voice control. We found this effective for starting video calls, adjusting brightness, and setting timers, but it lacked more in-depth control such as the ability to adjust music playback. Those who care about privacy may not be impressed to find that Facebook is recording and transcribing everything it hears after the wake-up call I used. However, this information is stored on Facebook’s servers for up to three years before being deleted.
However, as we have already mentioned, the ability of the Facebook portal to be positioned in both portrait and landscape orientation means that it is more efficient when it comes to being used as a digital photo frame.
But with more powerful speakers, the Facebook Portal Go provides a better audio experience when listening to music and watching video streaming services.
Verdict
When it comes to choosing between the Facebook Go portal and the Facebook portal, how you plan to use the smart display will affect which model you choose.
If you plan to regularly move the device between rooms, even during video calls, or want a device that can double as a portable speaker for your home, you should go with Facebook Portal Go.
However, those who are less worried about a portable smart display and instead want a device that can be used as an efficient digital photo frame or are on a budget, the Facebook portal will be a better choice.
