Amazon has informed customers whose phones already come equipped with Alexa that the hands-free capability will be removed in the near future. After the 31st of March in 2023, Amazon is going to stop providing support for this functionality.
Although this change may disappoint some consumers, the Alexa feature will continue to operate normally on mobile devices so long as the corresponding app is running in the background.
GeekWire was informed by a spokesperson of Amazon that the company “reviews its features frequently to ensure that it is investing in things that customers will like.”
As a result of this, the organisation has reached the conclusion that it will no longer provide support for the aforementioned feature.
“Amazon continues to invest in the Alexa experience within the Alexa app to make it easier for consumers to access to their favourite features and experiences,” stated the representative for the firm.
The recent reports of layoffs at Amazon will have an impact on the Amazon Alexa business, which is one of the parts of the company that will be impacted.
It is necessary for users to keep the Alexa app open and running on their phones at all times in order to get the most out of Alexa. This is inconvenient given that one of Alexa’s main characteristics is that it can be opened and used through the use of voice commands, and this function cannot be used.
Individuals who prefer Alexa more than other virtual assistants like Siri and Google will be dismayed to hear that leaving apps open on phones makes it easier to track people and consumes the battery. Leaving apps open also makes it more difficult to perform other tasks on the phone.
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The update is available for the OnePlus 10T, the OnePlus 10 Pro, the OnePlus 9, the Moto G7, the OnePlus 9 Pro, the OnePlus 8, the OnePlus 8 Pro, the Motorola Edge, the Sony Xperia 1, A LG G8 ThinQ, the Moto G7 Power, the LG Stylo 5, and any other phones that have the app widget installed, such as iPhones.
People who constantly check their phones have nothing else to do with their time. Apple’s (AAPL) virtual voice assistant is known as Siri, while Android users have access to Google’s (GOOGL) virtual voice assistant as an option.
In 2016, Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones were the first to offer the Google Assistant to the general market. The Pixel 2 was the sole device compatible with Google’s virtual assistant until 2017.
In 2017, it became accessible on a variety of devices in addition to the Pixel 2 computer. Siri is a virtual assistant developed by Apple for use with the iPhone and iOS. It was first introduced with the iPhone 4S in 2011.
Amazon is still on track to become a multi-channel, multi-billion dollar company; this is merely a speed bump along the route. There, innovations in online sales and the management of supply chains are mastered.
In 2014, Amazon made attempts to launch its Amazon Fire phone, but AT&T was the only carrier to offer it. Because Apple and Android phones have been on the market for some time, the majority of individuals have probably already determined which one of the two they prefer more.
It is just as challenging to convince individuals to switch cell phone providers as it is to get them to quit using Amazon.com. The Amazon Fire phone was no longer available for purchase after the year 2015.
