The makers of the UE Boom and Megaboom Bluetooth speakers – among the most popular on the market – have removed support for Amazon’s Alexa personal assistant.
The new version of the Ultimate Ears app for Android has nixed Alexa support in order to focus on the simple task of playing music via Bluetooth. In a statement to Engadget, the company says the Alexa Tap-To-Talk feature has been axed to ensure a focus on the most widely used features.
With paired devices, it was possible for users to simply press the Bluetooth button on the Boom and Megaboom speakers and request the next song via Alexa.
The hands-free Alexa experience remains present with the Blast and Megablast, which were designed with the assistant in mind speakers. They’re much more useful Alexa companions due to the presence of Wi-Fi, but the party’s over for Boom users.
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The statement reads: “The new update to the Boom & Megaboom app is focused on enhancing the core functionality of the speakers. As part of that update, the Alexa Tap-to-Talk feature is no longer supported.
“As we look to provide the best experience across all devices, we are focusing resources on the current app and improving our core, most widely used features. For hands-free voice control with the great sound of Ultimate Ears speakers, we recommend Ultimate Ears Megablast and Ultimate Ears Blast Wi-Fi and Bluetooth smart speakers with Amazon Alexa.”
Users are also complaining that the app update has removed the ability to remotely power-up the device, but Ultimate Ears says that’s not the case. It says its the one of the speaker’s most popular features.
While the feature was limited on the non-connected Boom and Megaboom speakers, it’s still rare to see companies remove support rather than add it.
Will you miss Alexa on your Boom or Megaboom speaker? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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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.
