March 17, 2017 - 14:03 AMT
Amazon puts Alexa inside iPhone

Starting March 16 and available to all iPhone users next week, you can talk to Amazon’s intelligent assistant Alexa while using the Amazon app, VentureBeat said.

Naturally, the voice assistant is able to shop and track packages, but it can also do most of the things Alexa can do, like tell a joke, give weather updates, and predict the Best Picture at the Academy Awards or the winner of the Super Bowl. It also plays music, controls Internet of Thing (IoT) devices, and grants Amazon app users access to more than 10,000 skills.

At launch, Alexa in the Amazon app will not come with access to the Door Lock API. First made available late last month, the Door Lock API allows users to lock (and eventually unlock) doors with smart locks made by companies like Vivint and Kwikset.

Changes to settings still require use of the iOS Alexa app.

In other Alexa news this week, Roomba owners will be getting an Alexa skill soon to control their robot vacuums, and to encourage the creation of more skills, on Wednesday, March 15 Amazon extended free AWS credits to Alexa developers.