Facebook reportedly delaying smart speaker launch in wake of data outrage

Enlarge / Facebook has some hardware on the market already through Oculus, but its reported smart speakers would be a deeper dive. (credit: Oculus)

Facebook is delaying plans to unveil its long-rumored smart speaker in the wake of the ongoing public outcry over the company's data collection policies, according to a new Bloomberg report.

Reports from Digitimes and Bloomberg last year said that Facebook is working on a large-touchscreen smart home speaker designed for video chatting, similar to Amazon's Echo Show, as well as a standalone speaker akin to the Google Home and Echo, which would sell for a lower price.

The former will reportedly include a wide-angle lens that can recognize users' faces and associate them with Facebook accounts. Both devices are said to use a new voice assistant. A January report from Cheddar said that the video chat device would be named "Portal" and that it could be priced at $499. Work on the devices is said to be led by Facebook's Building 8 team, a group within the social media giant that focuses on consumer hardware.

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