However, that integration – which allows you to ask Alexa about news, weather, basic facts, or use the assistant’s add-on “skills,” among other things – was available only for iPhone users. This week, Alexa is arriving on Android, as well.
Amazon hasn’t made a formal announcement about the launch but, when asked, the company confirmed the integration is indeed rolling out this week.
It still seems a little odd for Alexa to be integrated with the Amazon shopping application, given that Amazon has a standalone Alexa app already available.
But Amazon is likely relying on its flagship app’s massive reach to market Alexa’s capabilities to a broader customer base – including those who may not quite understand yet what Alexa is or what she can do. It’s sort of like a way to try a demo of Alexa without actually having to buy an Echo or other Alexa-powered device.
Plus, given that Amazon’s app already had voice capabilities for things like checking on orders or finding products, it makes sense to simply augment those existing commands by integrating Alexa’s more powerful assistant.
