Facebook Portal Go

A portable smart display that excels for video calling, but it's not as flexible as its rivals

- CARRIE-ANN SKINNER

PRICE £166 (£199 inc VAT) from portal.facebook.com

While phones and tablets remain the most popular devices for video calls, some of the best smart displays have built-in cameras, including the mains-powered Facebook Portal introduced last year. However, until the 1.4kg Portal Go, smart displays lacked the portability that phones and tablets offer. The Go even has a handle built into the back, making it easy to carry from room to room during a call, or even outdoors.

Facebook claims accurately - that the Portal Go will last for up to five hours of video calling between charges. That's plenty, and it's easy to use and recharge at the same time thanks to a charging dock that sits flush with the bottom of the display; it takes around three hours to fully recharge.

The 10.1in, 1,280 x 800 screen consumes most of the front of the device. That resolution isn't overly impressive, but it provides a crisp picture with attractive colours, and I was impressed by how it adjusts the brightness automatically to suit your surroundings so it's always easy to see. With two 5W speakers and one 20W woofer, along with a four-mic array that ensures your voice is picked up clearly, it's well tuned for video calls.

Naturally it supports Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, but this isn't a Facebook-only system: you'll find apps for Zoom, GoToMeeting and Webex, along with Facebook's own Workplace tool for business comms. Support for Teams is due in December.