Amazon has just announced the Echo Show, which will enable video calling through a dedicated touchscreen, but that doesn’t mean owners of previous generation Echo units are missing out on a little communication.
On Tuesday, the firm also unveiled Alexa Calling, which will bring free audio calls through supported Echo devices or the Alexa App for smartphones.
Amazon isn’t listing the Echo Tap, probably because of the outdoor nature of the device.
Amazon says it’s coming soon, but hasn’t announced a go date yet.
Related: Amazon Echo Show vs Amazon Echo
So how does it work? Well when a call is incoming a green light ring will appear on the Echo device and, users will be able to answer, ignore or hang up the call using their voice.
The green light will also appear when you have a message, along with a chime. Messages can also be read within the Alexa app.
Sending messages using the Echo can be achieved simply via voice commands.
As with most things Amazon is doing in this space, we can probably expect Amazon to roll this feature out in the United States first.
Does the Echo Show look like the best option yet? Drop us a line in the comments section below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.