Alexa Makes its Debut in Aftermarket Car Audio

Everyone knows Amazon’s Alexa is the star of an ever growing number of smart speakers, but did you know that the popular voice service is also finding its way into aftermarket car stereo?

Boss Audio previewed the first Alexa-enabled aftermarket in-dash receiver at last week’s CES 2018 in Las Vegas. The LXA5 is a double-DIN-size AM/FM/CD/DVD head unit featuring a 6.2-inch touchscreen and the ability to “seamlessly integrate with Amazon's voice service” via a hotspot set up on a smartphone.

The LXA5 will provide access to “tens of thousands of available Alexa voice skills,” said Doug Kern, Boss’s VP of sales. “[Users] will be able to control their Alexa-enabled smart home products while driving, and before arriving home, using prompts like 'Alexa, turn the heat on at 72 degrees' or 'Alexa, close the garage door.'”

Of course, drivers will also be able to query Alexa on a variety of subjects and ask her to play music and more.

Other features of the LXA5 include 4 x 80 watts of power, USB and SD ports, hands-free calling, and wireless streaming via Bluetooth. Pricing and availability was not announced.

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