Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) just announced [Mar 17, 2017 | 9:05am] that its voice-enabled assistance, Alexa, is now available to iOS device users — including the iPhone and iPad — beginning today.
Written by StockNews.com
Alexa will reside right within the existing Amazon shopping app. The roll-out will continue over the next several days and be available to all U.S. users by the end of next week, the company said.
This marks the first official Alexa integration for iOS devices, although the service has been available via third party apps for quite some time.
Amazon said it would soon add a microphone icon in the Amazon app for iPhones and iPads, offering one-tap access to the virtual assistant that millions of users utilize to check the weather and news, listen to music, and control many smart devices within their homes. Users can also ask Alexa to make purchases, look up facts, or play voice-enabled games.
The downside to the new integration is users must install the Amazon app and open it in order to use Alexa. In contrast, Apple’s Siri voice service is integrated directly into its operating system, and can be accessed simply by holding down the home button or uttering the phrase “Hey, Siri.”
Still, the roll-out is a nice win for Amazon, which currently dominates the smart speaker market with its Alex-enabled range of devices.
...Year-to-date, AMZN has gained 13.42%, versus a 6.33% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.
AMZN currently has a StockNews.com POWR Rating of A (Strong Buy), and is ranked #3 of 43 stocks in the Internet category.
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