Does the job
This is ideal for someone who is not tech-savvy. I bought one for my elderly parents as they don’t have smartphones, and I’m glad I bought the 10″ screen as they’re a bit short sighted. They don’t have to worry about positioning themselves for the camera since it is automatic. I haven’t bothered turning on the Alexa option because it wasn’t required and might just complicate things. I was so impressed I’ve just ordered another for my own home

Best Buy this year for zero tech savvy grandma
Bought for my very elderly and tech fearing grandma to keep in touch more during Covid19. My Grandma can just about turn the volume up on her tv (no exaggeration) so I was apprehensive about this. Fortunately she has broadband installed as it was no extra cost with her phone package so this was well worth a shot. To say it’s the best thing we’ve done in a long time is an understatement! After a little teething problem setting it up (parental controls on the broadband account stopping it connecting correctly) it’s been a godsend. We set up a blank FB profile to get messenger and then just added the family and friends she wanted to be able to keep in touch with. We just videocall her on messenger and she only has to tap a button on the screen and we’re away! It is nice and loud for her even without hearing aids…she doesnt have to hold it either and can just relax in her chair whilst we chat and the kids do silly things. The camera finds her and moves accordingly which is great because she sometimes nudges the unit a little when answering it (a standard camera would then be pointing at the wall lol). Its capable of more than we use it for but hell, it’s been worth its weight in gold for what function we’ve used.

Great fun would recommend
It’s a bit bigger then I thought it would be, which is great as I didn’t want a small one. It was great fun me and my son had fun video calling friends. And going live on Facebook lol.

It’s pretty good.
Good product but a little confusing to set up. Sometimes I have to unplug and plug it back in to work. Also can’t seem to sync the Alexa with my phone. But a nice way to keep in contact with people.

Lockdown life saver!
I now have the ability to hook up with my grandchildren and read them bedtime stories. The unit has wonderful AI (artificial intelligence) digital masks which can turn the user into a variety of characters. The stories are excellent, and this device can be used almost like a tablet, with lots of apps available to download.

Simple once its set up
Could have come with more requirements information and guidance for making most use of it. The setup itself was easy, you just answer its questions as you go. Plenty videos show this. I bought this a gift for elderly parents without smartphone or skills. I set up a whatsapp account on a spare mobile, created a contacts list on teh mobile, an email account and Amazon account ( to get alexa) for them. These took the time. I just provided these as the portal asked. It was never clear if after setting up and contacts being gobbled up from the mobile whether a mobile was still required. I think not unless you depend on a mobile tether for internet access. if you have unlimited broadband by landline there seems to be no need. There’s no ethernet connection socket so its by wifi. Its easy for my parents to use once set up. The basic touch screen displays main contacts that just need touching to make a call. I’m buying a new one for myself. One snag – ending a call, if they don’t tap the screen to end a call they started it seems to stay linked one way but actually looks ended to them. This particular item didn’t seem to respond to the tap to get the’ end call’ feature unless you tapped near the camera.

Great Product 👍
What a great product. We bought this to add a bit extra to contacting our loved ones during the lockdown due to COVID-19.
Easy to set up, links in well with your facebook and whats app accounts. Our kids love it especially the story time feature and the effects you can add.
The camera is excellent and follows you around the room and zooms in and out depending on how many of you are nearby.
Took us ages to get one as it was always out of stock. I got lucky and got one last Sunday. Keep checking for stock. I would highly recommend this. It also has Amazon Prime video and Alexa built in.

Great product - but!!!
We use the Portal to have regular contact (digitally) with our grandchildren and they love all the features so everyone is happy. Sound and vision are very good quality. We have found the Portal to be a life-saver during these difficult times.
Review update: As we use them more and more they are turning out to be a bit unreliable e.g. it keeps telling us we have lost connection (we have very good fibre broadband), it keeps cutting off connection, the camera fads in and out. All of the above happens on all three of the units distributed amongst our family.

Saves you holding your phone and brings a new dynamic to calls with the themes you can add
Very easy to set up and use straight away. Nice out of box experience; a few parts in the box. Much easier to have calls now you dont need to hold the phone. The camera follows you around the room and zooms in on you. You can also bring in bedtime stories alive by being part of them.

Negatives so far: cant disconnect the cable. Limited apps available e.g Houseparty and doesn’t always understand voice activation to answer or end a call.

Good purchase, would recommend.

Brilliant product. Highly recommended.
Bought this for my 85 year old mum who lives 75 miles away and has dementia and alzheimer’. Mum was struggling to use the phone however this is so easy for her to answer she uses it every night. This is a great help as if she didn’t see us on a regular basis she would forget who we are. Lovely clear picture and the camera follows the person if they move around the room. I would highly recommend this portal.

Super simple
Bought for my less than tech savvy parents in law whilst on lock down. This is excellent as it’s so simple, we set it up and put it on the small table in the living room. The bit that took the longest was creating a Facebook account for them. This is so simple they’ve even managed to make calls out to family. Great for staying in touch during these times

Superb
Was a little hesitant with the bad reviews. But my wife absolutely loves this. She FaceTimes her mother everyday with our son and it captures the room in great picture quality. So much so her Mother has purchased one meaning we both get the superb picture quality.

I’d recommend this
Well, we’re in lockdown so this is brilliant! I get to talk to my nephew and nice while I can’t visit them. Sound and vision are fine. Setting up a 2nd person was a bit of a bind, but I got it working eventually. You can have favourites and have WhatsApp as well as messenger. I don’t have Alexa, but you can use that too.

Awesome!!
Awesome product was bought for partner due to this current situation with just having a new born this makes isolation so much better for her to be able to chat to family and friends through the tv. Works great and it’s great quality. Lots of fun to be had.

Definitely worth purchading
Bought for my mum as she is socially isolating. We had provided her with smartphone so we could keep in touch with her via whatsapp video. She was getting on ok with it but we thought would be nicer if she had a bigger screen to view. It was very easy to set up with her WhatsApp account. She doesnt have and didn’t need a facebook account. Also set up amazon so she could use Alexa on it. I just followed requests on touch screen. WhatsApp is really easy for her to use and she has even used Alexa to find out news and weather forecast.

If you want to keep in touch with someone video whatsapp I would definitely recommend.

Total solutio
Great product with some fun features. Over-60s might need help with setup, and might resent the necessary Facebook and/or Whatsap registrations. We bought these for faraway children, and the TV one for our big TV (only works with the TV switched on, of course – the little ones are more practical). Only works for contacts similarly registered – otherwiseon any PC or phone try simpler jitsi.com instead (if using Mac, needs Chrome).

I absolutely loved this produc
I bought 2 portals before my trip to Colombia to take to my parents, I only go every two years and a lot of the times being away from home and not being able to talk to my mum as much as we used to depresses me a bit, so I went and installed a portal at their place and have one in my home, it is A-MA-ZING! we can talk for hours, I move it to the kitchen when I’m cooking and we can share recipes, talk about how I should do this or that or sit down in the living room and have a chat about our day while she is doing something at home with the freedom of the smart camera that follows you around. This product has been a life changer for me, and I believe for everyone especially in times like this where people are isolated and alone.

Delivers the goods.
This delivers the goods when it comes to keeping in contact with distant friends and family. Easy to set up, and even easier to use, this is the next best thing to being in the room with the grandchildren. In fact, it’s even better, since their parents can’t nip out to the pub for the evening, leaving you to babysit the little darlings.

Fantastic gadget, a must to have.
Absolutely fantastic gadget that I would highly recommend. I already have a few Alexa products including the Show and Show 5 and this is more geared to Facebook and what’s app with added security . The added bonus is you can install a number of apps. The camera is excellent and follows you, quality build is solid and comes with a manual slider to disable the mic and camera. Bought 1 for myself and was so impressed I bought a second one for my wife.

Amazing device, and has so many uses! Love it!!!
This is such an awesome product. I use it to video chat with my messenger pals! I use it for my music from my iPhone, Alexa, Facebook, music apps ! And so much more. Fantastic device and so worth the money!!

Good for grandparents
Great way of staying in touch with the grandparents who don’t have smartphones. Found calls much easier than using the phone for those with hearing problems. I had a nightmare setting up their Facebook accounts though as they kept being suspended as suspicious. You need a different device, new email address and new IP address to manage this successfully.

Must be kept plugged i
Purchased 3, to enable us to link in with our parents after the birth of our daughter to make calling quicker and easier to enable them to see their grandchild regularly as we live far away.

Only downside is that it has to remain plugged in, so it’s not mobile once connected.

Cool device for chatting to friends and family
Bought for face timing friends and family I love my new toy! Used for WhatApp it tracks me as I move around and my son and I have had great fun with the effects and sounds. Simple to set up, takes about 15-20 mins to update the software and put in passwords for WhatApp & Facebook and then it’s ready to go. Very happy with purchase and used almost daily for family chats! Even my son uses it when gaming with his cousins!

So far, excellent.
I bought for my mum. I am away a lot and I use FaceTime to call her, but she struggles with the phone as her hands are a bit fragile and shaky. She hangs up a lot! Now, she just uses the remote to answer. She’s over the moon! Only gripe is the supplied proprietary PSU. THERE IS REALLY NO EXCUSE FOR THIS ANYMORE. It should be USB C. Reusable, and I can use a spare USB port on the TV for power.

Excellent and simple to use for worldwide family video calls
Following the demise of skype on tvs this is a very welcome replacement. Easy to use and set up. Picture quality is excellent for family in New Zealand. Very easy for elderly parents to use. Just press one button on remote control when caller rings and hey presto you have your family on your tv. Would highly recommend.

Bit expansive, but doing the job
So far so good. Easy to install, login to Facebook account and connect to whatsapp. Working well and help to keep in touch with the family without chasing with phone all over the room. Works with alexa as well.

Impressive!
The setup is really easy, a download took about 15 and that was the only real slow down, once it’s up and running you’re connected to your Facebook account and then your WhatsApp account in about 2 minutes.
The calls themselves are really good, very high quality sound and video, my camera is a good 15ft from my sofa and it still provides great pictures the other end and even that far from the mic, the people I’m calling can hear me perfectly. It’s panning and auto-zoom works really well too.
If I wanted to improve it, I’d like to be able to manually control the zoom a bit more, regardless, I’m very happy with this.