META is reportedly having to kill off another device as it continues big investments in the metaverse.
Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, formerly Facebook, has also reportedly halted work on a smart watch that was rumored to be the next big Apple Watch rival.
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According to The Information, the next gadget in line for the chop is Zuckerberg’s Portal video calling device.
Portal launched around four years ago but has faced a few struggles despite some big celebrity endorsements.
Stars like Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez have even appeared on Portal adverts in the past.
The device looks a lot like an Amazon Echo Show smart speaker but never really took off in the same way.
Just like Amazon’s Alexa speakers, Portal was also surrounded by spying fears despite reassurances that the device is safe.
According to The Information report, Meta will be ending sales of consumer focussed Portal products.
It will reportedly focus its efforts on business Portal ventures instead.
Previously, Facebook described Portal as “a family of video-calling devices that helps you stay connected to your friends, family and colleagues.”
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Meta is said to be restructuring its whole AR/VR division as it puts a large focus on the metaverse.
If you’re a fan of Portal you can still buy the devices.
It’s unclear when sales will supposedly end but the Portal+ and Portal Go are still available to purchase.
We have reached out to Meta for comment.
