Calling Amazon Echo Users

[the_mother_thing]

For those who use an Amazon Echo/Alexa, can you comment on what functionality it has/performs “out of the box” and what functionalities require a subscription? For example, playing music ... will it play songs ‘on demand’ no matter what, or do you need a subscription to Amazon Prime? Also, can you set it up with a cell phone, or do you have to have a computer/tablet to set it up initially?

I’m asking for my dad, who as some may know, is visually impaired, so he does not have/use a computer, but he does have a smart phone, although he largely requires assistance to use it at times for anything other than making a basic phone call. He’s interested in getting one to have to ask simple things (e.g., the weather, ball games/scores, etc.) and play music. But if it’s going to require ongoing ‘maintenance’ (e.g., signing into an app to manage) or subscriptions to things, it probably won’t be feasible for him to use.

Thanks, in advance, for any experience you might share.

 

[the_mother_thing]

Bump

 

[WhoaNelly]

Hi there! My father is in a similar situation and also is hard of hearing. I just looked into getting him an Echo Dot with Alexa. He and my stepmom do not have Amazon Prime because they can use me to order I will be getting him one based on what I learned.

He can ask about weather, news headlines, sports scores, play podcasts, find out the time, set up alarms, grocery lists, and make phone calls/send text messages all without a subscription.

Initial set up requires the download of the Alexa app on a smartphone (there is a web set up too though). To make phone calls, link the contacts from a cellphone to the app.

To add or modify functions, you use the app. You can modify from a distance so, for example, you can help add Alexa skills regardless of where you are as long as you have the Alexa app linked to your father’s device.

The hole is music. You can get a free Pandora subscription with ads though.

I found this article helpful as I was doing my research

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ho...need-amazon-prime-to-use-the-amazon-echo/amp/

I haven’t gone too deep into research so other gaps that I don’t know about: can it be used to read books, emails, dictate emails/messages, search and read articles from the web?

We just got our first dot in December. Basic functionality and music so far but it has potential that intrigues and creeps me out

Hope this helps and happy to continue sharing and learning.