Amazon want you to be able to use Alexa anywhere and everywhere you happen to be and to do this they have released the Alexa Mobile Accessory Kit.
Currently, consumers tend to only use Alexa when they are within range of the far-field voice control speakers and microphone – that tends to mean being in the same room as an Echo device. Although the Alexa app is almost certainly installed on the mobile of most Echo owners, who would want to fire up the Alexa app when they could just say “Ok Google” on Androids or “Hey Siri” on Apple devices?
The Alexa Mobile Accessory Kit is designed to enable developers to integrate Alexa into devices such as headsets, ear buds and smart watches. It’ll rely on bluetooth to communicate to the Alexa Voice Service (AVS) on your smartphone so developers no longer need to perform the bulk of the coding for their Alexa integration on tiny devices lacking in memory and processing power.
Alexa on mobile rather than WiFi
Making use of mobile devices also frees Alexa from the requirement to be connected to WiFi – there’s no reason that your smartphone’s mobile signal can’t be used to bounce requests from your earphones to the Internet. This is a bit of a game changer as it makes Alexa available everywhere and anywhere rather than as currently the case restricted to use in the home.
Customers who connect new Alexa mobile devices with the Amazon Alexa App can access all of the features available through AVS, including streaming media, smart home capabilities, thousands of Alexa skills, calendar management, weather updates, and more.
Alexa Mobile Accessories
Several device makers have already begun developing Alexa Mobile Accessories to enable a hands-free Alexa experience on their products. OEMs such as Bose, Jabra, iHome, Beyerdynamic, Bowers and Wilkins, and AVS Solution Providers Linkplay, SUGR, and Libre Wireless are committed to bringing an enhanced Alexa-on-the-go experience to their Bluetooth audio-capable products this year.
Alexa or Google?
There is no question which is the best for general internet queries – Google beats Alexa hands down for everything from general knowledge to finding directions when using Google Maps as a SatNav. However for those with a Prime Membership who already use Amazon Music then the ability to control Alexa from your smartphone will definitely be welcomed. Also if you opted for an Echo Device rather than a Google Home and have home automation set up then we’d expect eventually you’ll be able to ask Alexa to boost your heating and turn on your lights from your earphones while you’re on your way home.
Shopping on mobile accessories with Alexa
Of course Amazon is all about shopping and apparently around a third of us are already placing voice orders rather than typing in shopping queries. It’s only a short step from wearing Alexa enabled earphones and listening to Amazon Music whilst washing the car to asking Alexa to reorder your car wash when you’ve just run out.
