Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

**Edit 12/08: In light of recent events (more below) and after reviewing the response by the Motorola representative below, I actually feel more discouraged about my purchase. At the time of my initial review, I assumed we might eventually see integration for non-Amazon streaming platforms (Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, etc.). After reading the official list of applications, it seems clear that this Alexa app was designed to be a walled garden of exclusively Amazon services (Amazon Music, Audible, etc.). I don't mind the Amazon ad bloatware, but I didn't realize I would also have to cede some of the freedom and flexibility Android is known for in the process. This may sound overly cynical, but keep in mind, this comes at the same time as support for YouTube has been withdrawn from Fire TV and other Echo devices. Original review: I have used this phone since the day of its release. The phone is a solid, budget-friendly, mid-tier Android device, but if you were excited about built-in Alexa capabilities, I'd advise you to look elsewhere. Google Assistant covers all of the functionality and is "baked in" to Android whereas the included Alexa capabilities are not. The Alexa capability is included via an app called Moto Alexa. This standalone app does not replace or interface with the other Alexa app that you can download to configure your other Alexa or Echo devices from your phone. The voice recognition and speed are fine, but it evidently does not use the same API hooks as other Alexa devices, so it does not have the same suite of capabilities. At the very least, I assumed the Moto Alexa would serve as a replacement Echo remote, but it cannot replicate this functionality AT ALL. Crucially for my purposes, you are unable to: -control media playback on other connected Alexa devices in your home (this includes Amazon Fire TV voice controls, for instance) -begin music playback using Spotify on your phone (or any service other than Amazon Music, as far as I can tell) -control music playback using non-Amazon services I would love to be corrected on this by Amazon or Motorola support, but until further updates come through, Google Assistant can do everything Alexa can do on your phone, plus much more, and it's standard on every Android phone.