With the fledgling voice-activated digital assistant space heating up, Amazon has today announced a number of interesting tidbits for those investing in its Alexa ecosystem.
Anyone who owns an Alexa-compatible Amazon device, such as the Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, or Fire TV, can — for the first time — sign up for a Prime subscription simply by saying: “Alexa, sign me up for Prime.” And with its third annual Prime Day sales on the horizon, Amazon is offering those who sign up for Prime with their voice a $20 discount for “a limited time” only — so it’ll only set you back $79, compared to $99.
Amazon is also continuing last year’s efforts by introducing early-access perks for those who shop with their voice. On Prime Day itself, which kicks off at 6 p.m. (PT) on July 10, those who ask for special deals through the Alexa voice-activated assistant will be able to access Prime Day deals two hours ahead of everyone else, starting at 4 p.m. (PT).
At this rate, Prime Day is turning into something more akin to Prime Month. Some special deals and promotions kicked off on June 29, while starting from today all the way through to July 17, Amazon is offering a bunch of Alexa-exclusive deals that change each day. This means all you have to say is: “Alexa, what are your deals?” followed by something like: “Alexa, order a Bose Soundlink III.”
June 5th: The AI Audit in NYC
Join us next week in NYC to engage with top executive leaders, delving into strategies for auditing AI models to ensure fairness, optimal performance, and ethical compliance across diverse organizations. Secure your attendance for this exclusive invite-only event.
Allowing existing Amazon device owners to sign up for Prime with just their voice is a smart move by Amazon, as it removes any lingering friction from the process. No longer do you have to open an app and click it, or crank open your laptop — if you’ve thus far avoided diving head-first into the ecommerce vortex that is a Prime subscription, the company has just made it a little bit harder to resist.
Additionally, with the likes of Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Samsung all investing heavily in artificial intelligence (AI) assistants, Amazon is clearly cranking things up a notch as it looks to cement its position at the forefront of the movement.
