As we know, Facebook is preparing a connected speaker to compete with Google Home and Amazon Echo. More info revealed by numbers, and Facebook’s smart connected speaker, Portal, reveals its impressive specs. The device, which was originally expected for May, is expected to arrive no later than July 2018. Indeed, the company decided to delay its marketing in order to improve its acoustic quality and improve its software. It will come in two models, Aloha and FIona, and the more sophisticated of the two is expected to cost $499.
Facebook will market its connected speaker with a 15″ touchscreen from mid-2018
A scoop fell in between CES 2018: Facebook wants to launch Portal, a connected speaker for the price of $499! It’s an impressive price, but above all, it’s already a risky bet with the giants having Google Home and Alexa. Especially Apple’s HomePod, which left terrible marks on wooden furniture, will soon enter the French market. However, the market is far from saturation, because according to market forecasts channelsGlobal sales of smart speakers are expected to double in 2018 to over 50 million.
To stand out from its competitors, Facebook will offer two models for its Portal speaker. The more sophisticated Fiona and Aloha will be equipped with LG’s large 15-inch touchscreen, which will keep family and friends in touch with video chat and various social features. In addition to responding to voice commands, Aloha will also have facial recognition functionality. This allows it to identify users and associate them with their Facebook account through a wide-angle lens placed on the front of the device.
Mark Zuckerberg’s firm has also entered into music licensing agreements with Sony and Universal to enrich his speaker’s practices. Portal isn’t out yet, but Facebook is already planning a sequel. The social network will create its own ecosystem of consumer video devices in the next five years! Portal would be just a stutter, many other terminals will come in years to come!
