Starting a video call with the Portal is easy: Just say "Hey Portal," tell it to call one of your Facebook contacts and confirm the person you want to chat with. While they work best when calling other Portal devices, they can also ring up anyone on Facebook Messenger. You can see the availability of your friends, so you won't be calling them at an awkward time.

In a brief demo in a swanky New York City hotel, I watched as Facebook representatives called their colleagues in another room. It took just a few seconds for them to appear on the Portal+ in crystal-clear high definition. Really though, that's just table stakes today. What makes the Portal devices unique is that their 12-megapixel cameras aren't stuck with one angle. Facebook developed algorithms to let Portal follow you around the room with smooth movements, almost as if a professional camera operator were actually documenting your conversation. The company says it worked with award-winning cinematographers to design how the virtual camera moves, and it shows.

As one Facebook representative walked from one end of his hotel room to the other, the picture smoothly shifted to keep him in frame. At first, I thought the camera itself was actually moving, but no -- it's all in the software. The feature looks even better in portrait mode on the Portal+ -- it almost looks like you're talking to someone actually in the room.

Facebook is using similar technology to let the Portal's microphones capture your voice clearly as you move around. The idea is to have the devices in a central location and go about your life, without worrying about bringing the microphone closer to you or keeping yourself in frame. Think of it like hands-free video chat. You could conceivably have a Portal in your kitchen and have an ongoing conversation with a friend as you prepare dinner, for example.