The company's voice-controlled Echo and Dot devices have generated a lot of buzz, but still have some growing pains, including out-of-control shopping sprees. In addition, Amazon is having a tougher time than expected getting users to stick with its app-like skills. Communication features like these, then, could be the first killer app for this type of device.

While privacy concerns continue to be an important issue, the Wall Street Journal reported that Amazon may have found a way to address them by only recording call metadata like phone numbers or call durations. Details like how the devices will handle phone numbers and contacts remain to be discovered, but this is a promising move for Amazon's customers.