Deals for Facebook portal devices are back.
$230 off their premium Portal Plus model is the best deal I've ever seen.
Only $79 for their basic model too.
Great way to keep in touch with family and friends during lockdown. Still no KFC though :(
Facebook Portal Mini $79, Facebook Portal Plus $249 Delivered @ Facebook
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Dekiwi on 31/08/2021 - 00:32 portal.facebook.com (1304 clicks)
Last edited 31/08/2021 - 16:38 by 1 other user
Last edited 31/08/2021 - 16:38 by 1 other user
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I think this guy likes his Facebook Portals..check out his previous post lol. Also a deal on facebook portal
Yep I've bought like 6 of them, given them to family all over the world so I can call and speak with them. Works a charm with older folk too.
Yea I figure older folk are the primary target market, probably good for resthome folk who couldn't operate any smart device if their life depended on it
I don't know how much experience you have with cheap tablets, but you'd be hard pressed to get one that functioned well for video calls for $79. I bought one for my partner's grandmother before the last lockdown (Samsung Tab 8 - $239 at the time), and it was useful, but certainly not easy to use for her. Things like plugging in the charging cable (microUSB really makes it hard) and keeping it at a good angle while not covering the microphone were all things she struggled with, let alone actually calling out.
Once you add in the tracking camera, microphones, and speaker, I think it's probably not a bad deal - though I wouldn't buy one for myself.I have no interest in them but I forwarded the promo to my 75 year old father to buy and ship to his 90 year old sisters in Malaysia.
Right now he uses Skype to ring their landline.
Dedicated devices are sometimes better because they can walk up to it and press the picture of the person and have it start ringing, rather than open and close apps, get prompted for updates, work out which is calling and which is the weather app etc. Also having the more expensive one permanently fixed will be easier on them, than being able to move it and losing it all over the house.
Think of it as a glorified landline, not a restricted tablet.
I, myself, would use my desktop, or buy a cheap tablet to make and receive those same calls. Then again $80 is a pretty cheap tablet.
Presenting Googling specs, if the $80 one is well specced it may be hackable.
Oh, high res, front facing camera with a wide angle lens makes it better than any tablet. You'll be looking at the room and person, rather than up their nose.
Tablets always do the phone thing and have a better camera on the back and a trash camera on the front.
Saw a post on xda about some people looking into it, doesn't seem super popular yet and the few people that looked into it didn't get too far.
Portal is one of the best out of alexa echo or google home devices.
it support : alexa, zoom, whatsapp, browser, you can even use youtube from it. plus whole keyboard
You can't video call on Alexa though
you can with the echo show ones
You can video call an Echo Show with a Facebook Portal device?
So, anyone used one of these?
Do they auto answer?
My father is chair bound with a tremor in a care centre, and I kinda like the idea of a device we could sit on a table or hang on the wall, that we could call at any stage and know the device had power and he didn't have to find it and answer the call.Could this fit the bill?
I know Amazon Alexa has "Drop-in" which is auto-answer, which we use with my grandmother in-law.
Kind off reminds me of the Thunderbirds - Tracy Island. I love the idea of hanging it on the wall for your Dad.
Might try it for teenage son.
Please let us know how your Dad gets on if you choose to buy it. KateOnly drama with autoanswer is that Thunderbirds didn't walk around the house naked.
This guy isn't walking anywhere sadly.
And is changed in another room, so pretty safe this time around.
Agree it has it's risks though for sure :)
I've got a few of them myself, don't think there is an auto answer feature :( I think fb have enough privacy concerns to worry about already!
Oh just remembered, if your dad has a smart phone and can download the portal app, he can use it as a remote control. Or he could get the TV model which has a remote control with it! Hope that helps.
For anyone who wants to buy this for someone to use in a care home setting, make sure they actually have WiFi first. Many care homes don't and you may need to buy a 4G hotspot.
Skinny Jump is great for elderly people with their 4G router
Yeah this is not particularly well known about but it's insanely well priced for the elderly/mobility/disability etc.
Can it join group calls? Some reviews say yes, some say no… Some say you have to start a group call but can't join one that is already started. So confusing….anyone has one that can confirm what the limitations are?
Yep i do group calls all the time.
Sorry if I misunderstand it's use but doesn't this seem like a bit of a useless device? Surely a cheap tablet could perform much better for cheaper?
The only one that seems useful is the Portal TV which also seems grossly overpriced.