Facebook announces the Portal Go, a $199 10" portable device, and a new $349 Portal+ device with a 14" tilting display and stereo speakers, shipping October 19
EngadgetNicole Lee
Context & Ripple Effects
Facebook first introduced Portal at the same $199 and $349 price points in 2018, pairing video chat with 10-inch and larger swiveling-screen models. Its 2019 refresh then added a lower-priced 10-inch model, a Portal Mini, and features including WhatsApp calling and Prime Video in its second-generation Portal lineup.
The new models preserve the two-tier price structure while changing the hardware proposition: portability at the entry price and a tilting display with stereo speakers at the higher tier. It is an iterative continuation of Facebook’s home video-device line rather than a new product category.
First-order effects
Facebook gives Portal buyers a choice between a $199 portable 10-inch device and a $349 14-inch model, with both scheduled to ship October 19.
The new Portal+ updates the larger-screen tier that began with Facebook’s original $349 Portal+, while Portal Go makes mobility the differentiator at the entry price.
Second-order effects
Facebook’s prior $179 10-inch Portal is displaced by a $199 portable model, shifting the line’s entry-level value proposition from lower upfront price toward use away from a fixed room.
The retained $349 premium tier makes display movement and audio, rather than a higher price point, the primary upsell for Portal customers.
Third-order effects
If Facebook continues holding Portal’s two price tiers while changing form factors, its smart-display strategy will be defined by successive use-case-specific hardware refreshes rather than price-led expansion of the range.
The trend: Facebook is evolving Portal through iterative form-factor upgrades that distinguish portable and premium in-home video devices while preserving familiar price tiers.
Portal continues to be a great way to feel present with loved ones or colleagues—today we're launching new Portal devices that'll make video calls even better: Portal+ with a tilting 14" HD screen, ideal for groups, and Portal Go, our first portable model with a built-in battery …
aside from the general distrust of the Portal, I'm deeply skeptical that it will be a useful work conference device. I've tried taking work video calls from a number of smart displays and it is a universally terrible experience: https://www.theverge.com/...
Excited to share two new Portals launching today! Portal Go with a built-in battery for taking conversations from room to room and the new Portal+ with a large tilting screen made for working remotely. Really proud of the team's hard work! #portal https://about.fb.com/...
Despite a brutal press cycle for Facebook last week, the company is keeping on w/ the release of these new Portal devices, which Zuckerberg is supposed to talk about soon. https://twitter.com/...
Facebook is going to start selling its Portal video chat devices directly to businesses for remote work, letting them bulk order/remotely manage Portals that can be used without a Facebook account https://www.theverge.com/...
A video chat device that is rechargeable and can be moved throughout the house, especially onto the floor shows a real understanding of how these devices are used to keep extended families together — great idea @facebook $FB https://twitter.com/...