Meta is reportedly shutting down its Portal line of smart displays and video-calling devices four years after it was first announced. Back when it was still called Facebook, Meta announced Portal as a line of devices designed primarily for video-calling using Messenger, WhatsApp and Zoom. Their large displays and integrated cameras made them great for this function instead of using a smartphone as they provided a more immersive experience and had camera features not available on smartphones back then.
The first two models announced were the 10-inch Portal and the 15-inch Portal+, priced at $199 and $349, respectively. They could make video calls and serve as smart displays with Amazon's Alexa voice assistant built-in. In addition, owners could ask questions, stream podcasts and control compatible smart home devices. Meta also announced Portal TV in 2019, which allows users to make video calls using their TVs and also doubled as a streaming device. Then it followed it with the Portal Go in 2021, a battery-powered version of the Portal.
The news of Metal shutting down Portal was first reported by Reuters, citing company executives at a town hall meeting. The Verge also verified this information. A few months ago, Meta announced that it would no longer sell its Portal devices to the general public. Instead, it would focus on enterprise users. The company has decided to do away with that arm of its business entirely due to what is believed to be a cost-cutting measure. However, Portal isn't the only division getting the boot.
No Wearables Either
It has also been reported that Meta is pulling the plug on its wearable project, which has two smartwatches in development. Around the same time it announced it was transitioning Portal from being consumer-focused to an enterprise-only model, Meta also announced it was killing off an upcoming smartwatch codenamed "Milan" with video-calling capabilities. The smartwatch, already far off into development, would have dual cameras, track health metrics and serve as a controller for other devices.
The watch was set for a 2023 release and would carry a price tag of about $349, the same price Google's Pixel Watch debuted for in Oct. 2022. However, Meta didn't say then that it had shelved its plans for a wearable. Surprisingly, the source has revealed that two other smartwatches, which were also at different stages of development, have been shelved. Still, it is not explicitly stated if Meta is discarding its wearable ambitions or just putting it on hold for the foreseeable future.
Meta's recent trimming of its businesses is a way for the company to save costs concerning its earnings have taken a hit in recent times. The tech giant has announced that it is laying off up to 11,000 members of staff, and there is a chance some of the affected individuals may have worked in the Portal division and on the wearable project. With Portals and wearables off the table, Meta's remaining hardware division is the Quest line of virtual reality devices and its smart glasses line, whose only model is the Ray-Ban Stories. There have been no reports of a new pair of smart glasses, but Meta recently announced a new high-end VR headset in the form of the Meta Quest Pro.