Tap into Alexa from your iPhone with a $5 app

We've seen support for Amazon's Alexa virtual assistant arrive on a variety of devices, and iOS gadgets are next. That's by way of the Lexi app. The Next Web reports that the application mirrors Alexa's functionality on the Echo speaker and lets you place orders, control smart devices and do other general stuff like ask about the weather and movie listings. Unfortunately, it sounds like you'll still need an Echo if you want to take advantage of stuff like Amazon Prime Music or its book service.

Oh, and the whole thing costs $5. But even then, that's at least $175 cheaper than Amazon's original smart speaker, so if you're budget-minded perhaps the trade-offs won't bother you too much.