Facebook wants to put cameras and microphones into your home with its new facial recognition device

Facebook has developed its first piece of consumer hardware - but it will involve bringing the social network's cameras and microphones into your home.

According to Cheddar , a website devoted to technology news, the new product will be called Portal and will be released later this year.

But rather than being positioned alongside Amazon's latest video device, the Echo Show which is positioned as a touchscreen virtual assistant, Portal will be pitched as a way for family and friends to stay connected via video chat.

It will have a 15 inch screen and a wide angle camera with facial recognition built in, which it will be able to associate with individual Facebook accounts .

But more worryingly, it will mean allowing Facebook's camera and microphones into your home.

After the website broke the news, Andrew Bosworth, vice-president of Facebook's augmented and virtual reality vision division, quoted the tweet, writing: "Can’t comment on speculation but can confirm it's going to be an exciting year for AR/VR."

The website wrote: "Facebook plans a formal product introduction in early May at its annual developer conference and hopes to ship the device in the second half of 2018."

It comes as the social media site wants to give users a more mobile experience, even in their own homes.

It will be the first product to emerge from Facebook's hardware lab, Building 8.

If the rumours are true, Portal will be priced at £368, whereas the Amazon Echo Show - a version of the Echo speaker which uses a touchscreen - is just £199.

The website added: "CEO Mark Zuckerberg has told employees that he doesn’t care if the device generates profit but rather wants it to change user behavior and encourage phone-like usage among owners."