Portal from Facebook. Smart, Hands-Free Video Calling with Alexa Built-in (Gen 1)

My family is spread out all over the country, and so I've been looking for ways to help us feel closer together. Over the years we've tried video calling from smartphones, laptops, iPads, Echo Shows.. you name it. This Christmas I went all-in and bought 3 Portals and NOTHING has been as fun or as easy as these... we love them!- I bought one for the grandparents - PERFECT grandparent gift. Walk up, tap a photo, and you're calling.. the UX is very simple. It's the first device that has been simple enough that my grandparents feel empowered to initiate video calls.- I bought one for my sister with young kids - they LOVE story mode and also all of the built-in effects/costumes. Picture quality seems way clearer than what we used to use (Facebook Messenger on iOS).. and selfishly I love being able to see my nieces and nephews so much more clearly.- I bought one for my parents.. they love it. Finally they can both fit in the screen, unlike when they were always trying to awkwardly hold their iPhones in selfie mode before.I am not affiliated with Facebook in any way, and I'll admit, I wish some other company had invented this product. But this whole thing works so well for my family because it's built on top of Facebook Messenger (which is what we already used to message each other)... and it means we can answer video calls on our phones, laptops, etc. if we're not at home and near the Portal.Small things I wish were better:- It has Alexa but doesn't work with the Ring doorbells- The photo slideshow mode is ok, but didn't surface a lot of gems (personally I wish it drew from Google Photos)- The first day she got it, my nephew went wild and called all of my sisters facebook friends.. she wishes there was a way to "lock it down" to family only- My grandparents often can't hear their portal ringing in a multi-room house (once I had to call their phone to tell them to pick up on their Portal)

My 97-year-old grandmother moved in with my aunt, 800 miles away from us, and she has been missing everyone from our area. For a long time, I had thought about getting her an Echo device like the Show so that she could at least have video calls, but it was expensive and I was worried she'd find it difficult to use. Plus, not everyone in our extended family has an Echo or is willing to download the app. What most of them do have is Facebook. So I decided to get my grandmother the Portal for Mother's Day (when it was on sale for $99). I logged into it with her Facebook account, made sure she was FB friends with everyone she'd want to talk to, and tested it out before sending it to her with my dad (who is not technologically inclined). After he figured out where to put it and how to connect the wi-fi, it's been smooth sailing. My grandmother can just click the picture of the person she wants to talk to or just say "Hey Portal, call so-and-so." And the best part is, it's like sitting on the couch with her in person and having a conversation. She loves using it for calls and asking Alexa what the weather is. (I set up Pandora radio for her, but she hasn't gotten that far yet.) She has bad vision, but the screen is large and clear enough that she can see everyone well. She can get up to get something and the camera will follow her. And when my cousin or the dog enters the room, the Portal automatically zooms out so that you can see everyone. My only regret is that I didn't get myself one at that price. It's a lot easier (and clearer) to use the hands-free Portal than to hold a phone in the air for long periods of time! I definitely recommend them.

What a fantastic product! After my wife and I bought one and realised how great it was, we bought one for my mother (85 years old) and then also my father. It's superior to video chats via Skype or on the phone. Maybe because of the way the camera will adjust and follow you around if you're moving or if someone else comes into the room. Not sure. One HUGE benefit has been the ease of use for my elderly parents. You just say "Hey Portal, Call ____" and it does! At their age, my parents can't do much more than that with technology. One thing: You (and whoever you call) have to have Facebook accounts. My mother didn't have one and didn't want one. My solution was to create one for her (that she never uses and that has absolutely no information about her on it) and keep it logged-in 24/7. I also added other family members who are on FB and anyone else that I thought she might want to talk to. She doesn't need to understand any of that. All she knows is that she can say "Hey Portal, Call ____" and it does. It has been a Godsend during the pandemic.

The item description is not what you get, it says Hands-Free Video Calling with Alexa Built-in, but it do not. it's says you can listen to Portal you can enjoy music, videos, news, games, and more from Spotify, Pandora, heart Radio, but you can't. this is false advertisement. i talked to an agent and he said that Meta do not have voice assistance anymore, so this device is not what it is advertise as.