by Dan Moren
Echo users can now call phone numbers in North America free
This slipped by in my wrap up of this week’s Amazon event, but The Verge’s Chris Welch caught it:
In case you missed the announcement during Amazon’s very busy hardware event earlier this week, the Echo, Echo Dot, and Echo Show have all gained the ability to place voice calls to numbers in the United States, Canada, and Mexico for free. If you want to receive calls from regular numbers, you’ll need the new $35 Connect box that Amazon unveiled on Wednesday, which also allows you to use your home telephone number for Echo calls and dial emergency services like 911 or premium rate / international numbers.
I just tested this out, both by giving Alexa my cell phone number, and by saying “call Dan Moren’s mobile” and both worked just fine. So, that’s pretty handy if you need to make a phone call and your hands are full.