![]() Not only do you get the full power of this voice assistant, but it also brings a lot of the information and integration that Android users enjoy on their smartphones. You have the Nest Hub Max with Google Assistant on the other side. The large 14-inch screen is prime for these features, but they aren't there. The widgets bring customization to the screen, giving you glanceable information and shortcuts to frequently used controls. Missing features that are a considerable frustration are the inability to use Amazon Photos on display and the lack of Alexa Widgets. Yes, the wake word thing isn't a significant issue, but it is a basic Alexa device function unavailable on the Portal+. The Facebook Portal+ has a fantastic display that is horribly under-utilized because it doesn't support many Amazon Alexa features. This is because of its lack of Amazon Photos integration, the non-customizable on-screen interface, and other things like changing the wake word. But if you want it to act more like an Echo Show 10, you'll be let down. The Alexa integration with it is a bit quirky, and Facebook's inclusion of its own Portal voice assistant only muddies the waters.Īs strictly a smart speaker, the Portal+ can do everything that something like an Amazon Echo does. The Nest Hub Max is one of the best Google Assistant speakers on the market, and the Facebook Portal+ is one of the best Alexa speakers - but the Portal+ has an asterisk by it. Not even Amazon Photos, even though it has Alexa built-in. Instead, you have Facebook Photos, Instagram, and direct uploads from your phone. You also won't be able to access your Google Photos on display. The video streaming services are limited too - there's no Netflix here. There are no smart home controls that are accessible from the display. The Nest Hub Max only works with Google Duo, Google Meet, and Zoom - which the Portal+ works with also.įacebook's Portal+ can do some of the same tasks Google's smart display does, but not very well. It can integrate with many services than the Nest Hub Max like Microsoft Teams, Facebook Messenger, GoToMeeting, and more. The Nest Hub Max does many things well and covers more bases than the Portal+.įacebook took the route of focusing on being a fantastic video calling device - and it is. The Nest Hub Max supports more streaming services than the Portal+ but has a smaller display, and the sound quality isn't quite as good. But the locked camera position and AR features that the Portal+ has means that it does better for video calls. It has a good camera that works well for video calling and facial recognition to customize that information on the screen. However, it's not amazing at any one of those abilities. ![]() Google wants the Nest Hub Max to be good at many things - video calling, multimedia devices, an informational display, a smart home hub, and more. In using both of these products, it becomes easy to see that each company has a clear vision of the goal for its device. ![]() Source: Chris Wedel / Android Central (Image credit: Source: Chris Wedel / Android Central) It would be great to see Google bring some of the fabric colors it has for the other speakers in its lineup, like with the Nest Hub (2nd gen) and Nest Audio. For the Nest Hub Max, you'll have a choice between Chalk and Charcoal. However, with the Portal+, you are stuck with one color option - Light Grey. Speakers on both devices have a fabric-wrapped base that looks good. In comparison, I found that though the sound from the Nest Hub Max was good, it tended to be more muffled from what the Portal+ produced. However, the Portal+ wins out in this category thanks to providing a fuller range of sound. Moving away from the displays, the two devices offer good sound quality when listening to music, video calls, or responding to voice requests. Physical switch to electronically disable mic and camera Mic and camera disable button with integrated camera cover
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