https://wccftech.com/facebook-unveils-their-first-ever-smart-speakers-called-the-portal/

The Smart Speaker market is a highly-contested one, and today it has a new entrant in the form of Facebook. The company announced the launch of two Smart Speakers called the Portal and Portal Plus that feature tablet-sized screens. Facebook claims to use augmented reality and AI to make video calls more entertaining and easier to conduct. To address privacy concerns, Facebook states that one can completely disable the camera and microphone with a single tap, or block the camera lens with the camera cover provided.

Additionally, Portal can call anyone with Facebook Messenger unlike the Echo Show and Echo Spot, which are limited to calling other Show and Spot users or folks who use the Alexa. Both Portals feature everything else you’d expect from a smart speaker. The devices can stream music from Spotify, Pandora and Amazon Music, and they are enabled with the Alexa assistant, giving Portal users access to the many skills available on Amazon’s service.