It's official! Starting today, all AT&T subscribers can now send text messages hands-free both via Amazon Echo and Echo Dot with the help of its built-in assistant Alexa.
The principle is pretty simple. Let's just say you are busy cooking and you're hands are full yet you need to text someone. All you need to do is say, "Alexa, ask AT&T to text (the name of the contact)" then just dictate your text message and Alexa will do it for you.
Alexa is a cloud-based assistant that can perform over 3,200 tasks including the ordering of food, getting an Uber pickup, playing music, providing information such as weather, news, sports scores and much more. As of now, the majority of its skills are free to enable.
AT&T is the first telecommunications company who launched this texting feature to Amazon. According to the article of Engadget, the feature, however, has its own limitation as it can only send text messages up to 10 pre-determined contacts. In addition to this, you must have a compatible plan and device. If you already have an Amazon speaker, you just have to download Alexa's app to try it out.
Jeff Bradley, AT&T's SVP of Device and Network Services Marketing said, "AT&T is the first carrier to bring this unique skill to a product already known for innovation. We're always working to bring simple solutions for our customers to stay in touch. In addition of NumberSync, another solution that was introduced at AT&T first, the Send Message Skill gives our customers another east and convenient way to communicate."
Just in case you do not have an Amazon speaker yet, AT&T is already offering in-store and online both the Amazon Echo and Echo Dot at $179 and $49 respectively. Stay tuned to Game & Guide for more!