Being able to video call over WhatsApp might make the Portal a more tempting buy if you didn’t want to make calls over Messenger (remembering WhatsApp is owned by Facebook). The company also added Workplace, Facebook’s coworking app, in case you want to place professional calls over the service. It also added Watch Together to let you watch Facebook content simultaneously over video with someone else on a Portal. Less seriously there’s also a new thing called Mic Drop which is basically a video lip sync battle set up. Photobooth, a mode already available on the smart displays is now compatible with Portal TV, the TV add-on camera hardware for the Portal service that Facebook also sells if you want to get hold of these features. There are privacy concerns about every smart display and smart speaker but given the Cmabridge Analytica scandal and the fact Facebook doesn’t encrypt Messenger by default, you might want to think twice before buying a Portal. Henry is Tech Advisor’s Phones Editor, ensuring he and the team covers and reviews every smartphone worth knowing about for readers and viewers all over the world. He spends a lot of time moving between different handsets and shouting at WhatsApp to support multiple devices at once.
