Facebook to unveil 'Portal' chat device with video camera that FOLLOWS YOU around the room, report claims

• New report claims Facebook planning to release its long-rumored Portal device 
• The video chat device is expected to be unveiled next week, the report says
• Portal will have a wide-angle camera with face recognition and can tag users
• Comes amid patents hinting of its existence, code for speech recognition tech 

Facebook may be planning to release its own smart home device, after all – and it may come equipped with a camera that can recognize different people, and even track your movements around the room.

While reports of Facebook’s upcoming smart device have been mounting all year, it briefly appeared the plan was put on hold amid privacy concerns in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

But now, a new report claims the firm will launch its ‘Portal’ video chat device as soon as next week.

The claims come just weeks after it was revealed that code in Facebook’s apps detail a prototype interface for speech recognition technology dubbed ‘Aloha’ that could be used in its voice-activated speaker.



According to a new report from Cheddar, Facebook will reveal its long-rumored Portal device next week.

It’s thought the smart speaker will be geared toward video chatting, with a wide-angle video camera that relies on facial recognition to tag different users and follow them around.

But, it will also come with a shutter to block out the camera for those concerned about privacy when it’s not in use.

This feature, however, was only put in place after the worldwide backlash from Cambridge Analytica. 

It's suspected that Portal will be Alexa-enabled.

Just last month, it was revealed that the firm may be working on 'Aloha' voice recognition technology for its own device.