The Echo Dot (3rd Generation) Smart Speaker with Alexa virtual assistant is a hands-free, voice-activated device that allows Alexa to manage smart home appliances, play music, read the news, set alarms, and more.

Difference Between Amazon Echo Dot and Alexa

It is important to remember that Amazon Echo and Alexa are not the same. People confuse when they use the names Amazon Alexa and Amazon Echo interchangeably. Alexa is only an AI service that serves as the virtual assistant you talk to, ask questions and pester with music requests. Amazon’s Echo Dot 3rd Gen on the other hand is a physical product, the actual hardware or simply put the speaker that you use to communicate with Alexa.

Alexa Features

Many consumers do not know hidden capabilities that Amazon Alexa has to offer. Here we have listed them in detail to help you understand why this voice assistant is darling to millions of households around the globe.

Productivity Features

• Find your phone: If you cannot remember where you left your phone then you may ask Alexa to call your phone to find its location in the time of need.
• Call a taxi: Can’t locate your phone but have to go right away? Ask Alexa to use Lyft to make a ride request. Then you may take your time hunting for your phone while being certain that your vehicle will come on schedule.
• Vacation Planning: Alexa may recommend popular tourist destinations to you using the Where to Vacation skill. Ask Alexa what to do when you get there if you’ve never been to the region.
• What to wear? You may get advice from Alexa. What should I wear today? Ask Alexa and you’ll get a response depending on the predicted weather where you are right now.

Entertainment Features

• Jokes and Songs: Alexa can share a number of jokes. You may ask Alexa: “Alexa, tell me a joke.” If you ask the virtual assistant to “Sing me a tune,” it will also start to sing along.
• Entertain Your Pet: You may instruct Alexa to “enable Meow” or “enable Woof,” it may let out a string of barks and meows to “connect” with your pet.
• Sports Advice: When your team wins the big game, you can ask Alexa to let you know right away. You can even ask her for help on your football league. Alexa can provide advice that is useful even for the most ardent sports fans.
• Coin Flipper: You can ask Alexa to toss a coin which is quite convenient given that you probably don’t carry around cash or a die anymore. Nobody can be accused of cheating since Alexa is performing the job.

Social Features

• Storyteller: You may always read them a tale read by Alexa if your children don’t appear to be ready for bed. Alexa may go through a variety of tales and choose one that appears ideal for your children.
• Track Santa: Many services monitor Santa on Christmas Eve. Knowing his whereabouts may thrill youngster for the morning. Trackers track Santa for 24 hours or more, giving you time to ask Alexa where he is traveling.
• Change the Conversation: Do you need to change the subject of the discussion but are at a loss for words? Request a change of topic from Alexa. You’ll have something fresh to talk about and can amuse your family or visitors.

Alexa Customization

• Speak Faster: Some individuals dislike the manner in which virtual assistants speak. All you need to do is ask Alexa to speak more quickly to make her sound more human. Shortly after, you should hear Alexa’s speech speeding faster.
• Whisper: Even you may whisper to Alexa and in response it too will lower its voice. This feature helps avoid disturbing other in the home.

Health and Wellness

• Personal Trainer: You can request Alexa a little exercise. You can always go back and see how far you’ve come from the beginning since Alexa can monitor your development over time.
• Caring the elderly: Alexa is great taking care of elder people when you are not around to look after them yourself. Alexa notifies you when they interact with it, start their day, fall accidentally and calls emergency helpline.
• Teaches Hand Washing: Children learn best when they are consistently shown how to do something. Ask Alexa to activate a hand washing song.

Security Features

• Security Dog: To ward off intruders, one Alexa Guard function has Alexa bark like a dog. It’s a simple technique to safeguard your house without spending a lot of money.
• Security Camera: Amazon Echo Show makes it simple to monitor of your house. It’s a terrific method to feel comfortable in your home by yourself.
• Use as Intercom: With the “Drop In” capability, Alexa may serve as an intercom for other Amazon devices located around the house. You can use another Alexa assistant to interact with someone who is on a different floor. If you don’t know where they are, you may use the “Announce” capability to send a message to every Echo in the house. This makes it simple to keep your whole family in the loop.

Phone calling – Role of Alexa and Echo Dot 3rd Gen

Echo device or the Alexa App allows you to make Alexa-to-Alexa call as well as Echo-to-Phone call.

You may press the Communication icon in the Alexa app that is installed on your phone to make an Alexa-to-Alexa call. However, you must first sign up for Alexa-to-Alexa calling to confirm your identity and phone number verified and allow Alexa to access your contacts.

All Echo devices, as well as the majority of mobile and landline lines in the US, UK, Canada, and Mexico, enable calling from an Echo dot device to a phone. Remember, you can’t call through your Echo premium-rate numbers, toll numbers, emergency and international numbers.