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Facebook is building a video chat device and smart speaker to debut next year

Alex Heath   

Facebook is building a video chat device and smart speaker to debut next year
Tech1 min read

the flagship feature on the echo show though is video calling using the speakers and the built in camera

Matt Weinberger/Business Insider

Facebook is working on a video chat device that will feature "a laptop-sized touchscreen" and be announced next year, according to a report from Bloomberg on Tuesday.

The device is being developed inside Facebook's secretive Building 8 hardware lab, which is tasked with creating consumer hardware and shipping it to millions of people.

Facebook is also working on an Amazon Echo-like smart speaker, per Bloomberg, echoing a recent report from Digitimes that said the speaker is on track to ship in early 2018.

Both devices will reportedly be powered by a Facebook voice assistant that functions similarly to Apple's Siri.

Facebook's Building 8 recently patented a modular device that could function like a smart speaker with a touchscreen, as Business Insider first reported. The division has also poached employees from the likes of Amazon and Walmart to kick off its retail push when the gadgets go on sale.

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