New 3rd-party Alexa-enabled devices are constantly being released, but one thing that holds true for all of them is that they don’t support all of the features that Amazon’s own line of Echo speakers. The one feature that has been exclusive to Amazon’s own Alexa devices is calling and messaging capabilities. That has finally changed because the Eufy Genie smart speaker has just become the first non-Amazon device that supports Alexa calling and messaging.
The Eufy Genie is among the most popular 3rd-party Alexa smart speakers. I reviewed it when it came out and found that its only real issue was its lack of a few Alexa capabilities that were only available on Echo devices. Eufy has been slowly filling those holes, first by being one of the first 3rd-party Alexa devices to support Echo Spatial Perception and now by being the first to support Alexa calling.
An announcement email, seen above, was sent by Amazon to Eufy Genie owners to inform them of the device’s new capabilities. This seems to indicate that Amazon worked closely with Eufy to add support for the feature. This wouldn’t be the first time Amazon worked with an Alexa device manufacturer on new capabilities. Sonos worked with Amazon to release the Alexa-enabled Sonos One smart speaker and Sonos Beam soundbar, and Garmin worked with Amazon to release the Garmin Speak Alexa-enabled car navigation device.
The Eufy Genie has not only gained the ability to make and receive both phone calls and messages, but it also supports Alexa’s Drop-In feature that lets it serve as a home intercom system. Additionally, the Eufy genie now supports Alexa Announcements which means it will relay messages across your home, along with Echo devices.
These new features are available immediately on the Eufy Genie. The device may need to be updated first, which can be done through the Eufy app.
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Awesome news!! I’ve been waiting for this. Do you know if Multi-Room Music works as well? I don’t believe it used to, and that would be a deal-breaker for me :-/
Thanks for this helpful write-up!
You don’t want a Eufy. Unless you want it for something like a garage unit that will see minimal use. I have one. So slow it is relegated to the garage. GREAT for the garage though. Working on the car I can get decent radio quality sound out of it at full volume.
Thanks Mark – your feedback was very helpful! I just went ahead and ordered two refurbished 2nd gen. Dots instead then. ✔
I already have two Dots, and I had purchased several of the current model Fire HD tablets with the hope of using them as the final components/interfaces for my home’s Alexa/IoT/automation systems, but even with the new “Show Mode” OS update, there are still many frustrating limitations that don’t allow it all to really come together and work as it should. at the same time, there are issues/limitations with my Echo Dots that I find the Fire Tablets improve upon and sometimes blow out of the water. For example, even though the microphone(s) on the Dot by design are supposed to be great for their intended purpose (with their fancy 360° design and all) I find hands-down whatever basic-grade tablet microphone Amazon used on the Fire tablets to be many times more responsive and sensitive than the Dot microphones. Sometimes (ok, often), as I’m standing right in front of my Dot, screaming for the fifth time to please turn off a light et. al, she doesn’t hear me at all yet the Fire HD tablet sitting on a table in another room upstairs does and takes care of things.
I’m typically very good with technology/automation/home design, etc., but am finding myself a bit overwhelmed and burnt-out on home automation now…
Maybe Amazon could have talks with youtube
And this has what to do with the Eufy, exactly???
There are video reviews of the Eufy Genie on YouTube … obviously ;)
Are Alexa devices; Echo Dot & Eufy capable of initiating Hands free PHONE/ Mobile calls to Contacts that do not have Alexa Devices? This was a limitation I read of some time back.
I wonder if this capability will be coming to the Zolo Halo as well