Amazon’s Alexa can be used for a variety of home tasks, but could it make your phone calls?
Recode reports that Amazon is developing Alexa-based devices that would have the ability to be used as a phone-like intercom. The devices are still in beta and details on functionality — for example, how the devices would pair with phones — are unclear, but Recode says an announcement will be coming in the next few months.
While details on the new devices remain scant, they fit into Amazon’s teased and stated goals for Alexa and the Echo as a platform. Thanks to devices like the Echo and Echo Dot, Amazon has gotten the virtual assistant into homes and made its use more intuitive, but the online retailer’s next planned steps are to integrate it more into your daily routine.
It appears that this will be implemented via newer devices with Alexa integration. For instance, Amazon is reportedly developing a camera with Alexa-based voice control. Amazon has also already started bringing Alexa to more platforms besides the Echo. At CES 2017, Amazon announced partnerships with companies like home appliance makers and developers for Alexa integration.
Competitors in the home assistant market are making similar moves; The Wall Street Journal reported that Google is looking to add phone-like functionality to its home assistant devices. As home assistant devices work to make the leap from novelties to useful tools, look for more developers to add features to supplement their voice services.
