Amazon will soon bring Alexa functionality to Android phones just mere months after it had done so for iOS devices.
The move makes Amazon's intention certainly more clearer. Not only is the retail company intending to balloon the digital assistant's library of Skills, it also wants to make sure Alexa can be accessed anywhere — making Android phones compatible with the voice assistant opens it up to audiences at an incredible scale.
Amazon Alexa Comes To Android
Pretty soon, any Android user with the Amazon mobile app installed can access Alexa right inside the interface. The company appears to have not made any formal statement regarding the launch, but as TechCrunch reports, the company confirmed that Alexa integration will indeed launch this week.
Nick Schwab, an Alexa developer, noticed that Alexa was added to the Amazon mobile app for Android, posting the good news on Twitter.
It remains a question why Amazon decided to integrate Alexa into its mobile shopping app, especially if the standalone Alexa app already exists, but we're not complaining. Amazon likely decided where it should put Alexa based on how many people its mobile app can reach — which includes users who might not have a single idea what Alexa is for and what it can do.
What Alexa Can Do
It makes sense, though: the app already has some form of voice control in place, so it seems Amazon just took all that and made it part of the Alexa ecosystem, which, coupled with bringing Alexa to Android, helps it hit two birds with one stone.
Similar to the version of Alexa that ships with Amazon's range of Echo devices, Alexa on mobile can perform several voice-activated functions, such as answering basic questions or giving daily news via the Flash Briefing feature. Alexa can even provide weather and traffic information for those who need to commute, and it can also play music as you navigate the app.
It's not a full-blown Alexa integration per se, but more of a tech demo to an extent. It's like Amazon wants to say, "Hey, this is how Alexa works. Go out and buy an Echo device to take advantage of Alexa even further." The point, then, is to make Alexa more visible and bring it to people who have never seen it in action prior.
The Amazon mobile app is available for free on the App Store and the Google Play Store.
Thoughts on Alexa coming to Android? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
