Meta Portal: A new dawn in video calling

An intelligent video-calling device that pans and zooms across the room - say hello to the new way to stay in touch
Meta
27 June 2022

The pandemic changed many things, not least the way we navigated keeping in touch with friends, family and colleagues under Stay At Home orders.

Never before has the world so collectively embraced video calling, once solely a tool for time-poor executives. But as we juggled working from home with making sure the kids stayed on track with remote learning, all while checking in with friends and family, the world of tech was busy dreaming up new ways to make connecting with loved ones easier than ever.

One of those companies was Meta, the new name for social media giant Facebook. In the business of bringing people together since it began in 2004, the site entered the physical tech sphere, launching its first ever product, named Portal.

Meta

What is Meta Portal?

In the simplest terms, Portal is a camera that connects to your TV and turns it into a video calling device. Bid farewell to fuzzy images of friends and family on mobile phone screens: Portal makes small screen stars of your subjects by projecting them your telly in HD as high as your set offers.

The Portal device is teeming with features that make it feel like your family and friends are in the room with you. Sitting above or below your TV set, it’s the next best thing to physically being there.

Meta

Bringing people together

As well the ability to make one-to-one calls, group calls are also a benefit - useful if your loved ones are far flung. As the device connects to your TV, you can even sit down together to watch films and TV thanks to the Group Watch function.

Relatives who have missed out getting to know pandemic babies can now be part of their nightly routines. Join in with storytime, enhacing their favourite tales with augmented reality (AR) effects, music and animation.

Be in the room

Portal’s biggest USP is its camera. The clever tool offers a 113-degree field of view, adjusting and moving with your subject over big spaces. It even zooms out if someone new enters the room. Whether you’re tracking a hyper toddler or attending a birthday party remotely, take in the bigger picture without lifting a finger.

Seeing the whole room offer a more natural way to engage with folks than being handcuffed to a mobile or laptop screen. Portal is a major evolution in smart video calling that brings your favourite faces closer, wherever they happen to be.

Set up is easy - all you need is a Facebook or WhatsApp account and Wi-Fi.

Meta

An invaluable tech solution for remote working

The more you learn about Portal, the more you discover its potential. With more people adopting remote working, stay on the same business page as your colleagues by hosting meetings and presentations over Portal without the need to enter a boardroom. No more awkward screen-sharing or jittery stop-start conversations. Enjoy eye contact with the entire room. Out of office no longer means out of the loop.

Freedom of speech with Portal Go

Portal is no one-hit wonder. Meta has since rolled out a selection of sister products that share Portal’s OG features, but with various added extras. There’s Portal 10”, a photo frame-shaped display available in black or white; and there’s also Portal Plus, which boasts a 14-inch HD display, adjustable tilt, and integrated Smart Sound speaker, upping the ante for video calling.

Meta

Then there’s Portal Go. The standalone wireless device give you the freedom to take your video call anywhere in the house - and beyond. The design incorporates a camera along with a screen, a built-in battery and carry handle. It’s made specifically to pick up and go, so you can continue to talk as you’re making supper in the kitchen before sitting down to eat it in the garden. Want to show off your new bathroom design? Pick up Go and give friends and family a tour.

Portal Go also acts as a Smart assistant and works with Alexa voice commands, so you can make calls just by saying them out loud. It can also remind you of tasks and big events as well as giving you weather and news updates, making it a must-have device for all sorts of households.

Meta

A Portal to the future

The pandemic may be in our rear-view, but as schedules start to fill up with work and play commitments, Meta’s Portal devices mean we can still stay connected to the ones who matter most. Filled with helpful functions and details, Portal helps you keep an eye on the bigger picture.