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05:57 GMT, March 7, 2017Amazon is reportedly working on new Alexa homes speaker devices featuring phone call and intercom functionality.
A report by Recode, citing sources close to the matter, said that later this year Amazon will unveil Alexa-powered devices capable of initiating phone calls by voice and come with a an intercom system allowing users to talk to others with an Alexa-powered device.
The Amazon Echo home speaker connects to the Alexa Voice Service to play music, provide information, news, sports scores, weather, and more.
The new Alexa-powered products are currently in beta testing, according to the report.
Last month the WSJ reported that Amazon and Google were both considering “a new use for their popular home speakers: becoming the home phone.” This would involve adding voice calling to the Echo and Google Home smart speakers.
Recode says it has learned that Amazon is “going ahead with this plan”, but several details remain unclear, including whether or not users will have to create a new device-specific number for the device or be able to sync their smartphone for use with the product.
Amazon declined to comment, but the report says that an announcement could be made in the coming months.