Would you like your voice assistant to open your daily iOS and Android apps for you? Well if you are that lazy then Amazon is all ready to make that possible with Alexa voice assistant - with hopes of coming on top as a preferred option for all smartphone users, of course when compared with Apple’s Siri and Google Assistant.
Currently called as Alexa for apps, the feature has already launched in the preview form and Amazon is still working on making better use of it with selected developers.
With the help of the new feature, Amazon is basically imagining the iPhone and Android users asking Alexa to open apps like Twitter and then orally dictate the assistant to search for a hashtag as well. Alexa in return for the commands given will launch the app and also input the search term only to provide relevant results on the screen instead of reading out aloud unlike the competitor’s assistants. Another example also includes TikTok users who would then only have to ask Alexa to open the app and then begin a hands-free video recording as well.
This new type of interaction is basically making Amazon’s Alexa challenge Siri and Google Assistant where they are known as the best - since both the assistants are not only home-made but also deeply baked into the operating systems and it is obvious that they will have better access to the apps and system-level features too. May be, Amazon is adamant to make a strong entry into the smartphone world after failing miserably with their own forked version of Android-based phone back in 2014 and hence this feature can turn out to be their chance to make that possible without going Apple and Google’s way.
People already enjoy the option of using Siri to order an Uber or request Google Assistant to play an episode of BoJack Horseman on Netflix. These functionalities have been tailor-fitted relatively long time ago by developers and to make the similar integration possible with Alexa too, they might have to reorient all the work done and that is the reason why Amazon also released the feature in preview format. The company wouldn’t like plans to come out as half baked with such stiff competition.
In the Alexa Live Presentation, Amazon has also announced more Alexa related features which include a beta for a more powerful conversational AI model that will let users talk more casually with the assistant and there are also much-needed updates in the technology side that is directly contributing towards building Alexa experiences (more commonly known as APL) which will enable the possibility of better audio apps and browser-based Alexa games as well.
There is also a skill resumption feature on cards that will basically let you pause the video for a while so that you perform your task and then continue by checking in with Alexa on the update of the previous request. Moreover, another addition is also the quick links feature in Beta that Amazon will launch to allow developers to release Alexa skills from mobile apps, websites and even ads, along with making purchases a reality from Echo devices with screens or Amazon.com as well.
Read next: This Survey Reveals How Popular Voice Search Is Among Consumers
Currently called as Alexa for apps, the feature has already launched in the preview form and Amazon is still working on making better use of it with selected developers.
With the help of the new feature, Amazon is basically imagining the iPhone and Android users asking Alexa to open apps like Twitter and then orally dictate the assistant to search for a hashtag as well. Alexa in return for the commands given will launch the app and also input the search term only to provide relevant results on the screen instead of reading out aloud unlike the competitor’s assistants. Another example also includes TikTok users who would then only have to ask Alexa to open the app and then begin a hands-free video recording as well.
This new type of interaction is basically making Amazon’s Alexa challenge Siri and Google Assistant where they are known as the best - since both the assistants are not only home-made but also deeply baked into the operating systems and it is obvious that they will have better access to the apps and system-level features too. May be, Amazon is adamant to make a strong entry into the smartphone world after failing miserably with their own forked version of Android-based phone back in 2014 and hence this feature can turn out to be their chance to make that possible without going Apple and Google’s way.
People already enjoy the option of using Siri to order an Uber or request Google Assistant to play an episode of BoJack Horseman on Netflix. These functionalities have been tailor-fitted relatively long time ago by developers and to make the similar integration possible with Alexa too, they might have to reorient all the work done and that is the reason why Amazon also released the feature in preview format. The company wouldn’t like plans to come out as half baked with such stiff competition.
In the Alexa Live Presentation, Amazon has also announced more Alexa related features which include a beta for a more powerful conversational AI model that will let users talk more casually with the assistant and there are also much-needed updates in the technology side that is directly contributing towards building Alexa experiences (more commonly known as APL) which will enable the possibility of better audio apps and browser-based Alexa games as well.
There is also a skill resumption feature on cards that will basically let you pause the video for a while so that you perform your task and then continue by checking in with Alexa on the update of the previous request. Moreover, another addition is also the quick links feature in Beta that Amazon will launch to allow developers to release Alexa skills from mobile apps, websites and even ads, along with making purchases a reality from Echo devices with screens or Amazon.com as well.
Read next: This Survey Reveals How Popular Voice Search Is Among Consumers
