Alexa+ release date, cost, devices and all the new AI features

(Image credit: Amazon/Tom's Guide)

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What is Alexa+?
Release date and cost
Alexa+ devices
Key Features
Outlook

Amazon has unveiled Alexa Plus (Alexa+), an advanced iteration of its familiar voice assistant. The AI assistant has been upgraded to offer users a more natural and intuitive interaction experience.

Building upon its predecessor, Alexa+ introduces enhanced conversational abilities with memory and emotional capabilities, similar to what users have become accustomed to with chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini.

Additionally, the AI-assistant offers more thorough personalized assistance, and a suite of new features aimed at integrating into users' daily lives.

What is Alexa+?

Amazon’s latest AI-powered assistant, Alexa+, is built on the Bedrock platform and harnesses multiple large language models (LLMs), including Amazon’s own Nova and models from partners like Anthropic.

This advanced framework enhances Alexa+’s ability to comprehend natural language, remember user preferences, and respond to emotion and converse with greater accuracy.

Because of its infrastructure, Alexa+ has the capability to integrate with a wide variety of smart home devices and popular apps such as Spotify, OpenTable, and Ticketmaster.

Users can expect richer, more dynamic interactions, as Alexa+ is designed to understand context, detect emotional cues, and remember individual preferences to deliver tailored responses.

Alexa+ has the ability to do more than most voice-based assistants. It can process image inputs, generate inline SVG images, and integrate with tools like DALL·E for AI-powered image creation.

Additionally, its built-in web search functionality ensures that users have access to the most up-to-date information available. These enhancements make Alexa+ an invaluable tool for a range of purposes, from creative endeavors to in-depth research.

Alexa+ release date and cost

Alexa+ is set to roll out in the United States over the next few weeks, starting with Echo Show models 8, 10, 15, and the new Echo Show 21. Amazon plans to expand compatibility to other Alexa-enabled devices and introduce a dedicated Alexa+ mobile app in the coming months.

The service is priced at $19.99 per month for non-Prime members. However, Amazon Prime subscribers will have complimentary access to Alexa+, adding significant value to the existing Prime membership benefits.

Given that an Amazon Prime subscription currently costs $14.99 per month (or $139 annually), subscribing to Prime may be more economical for users interested in Alexa+.

Alexa+ devices

Amazon Alexa Plus devices, including laptops, Echo Show, Echo Earbuds and Echo Frames — (Image credit: Amazon)

Although you’ll need an Echo Show 8, 10, 15 or 21 to get access to Alexa Plus as part of the initial rollout, it will be available on all Echo devices. These are the Echo devices that will support Alexa Plus with a voice-only experience:

Echo (second gen and later)

Echo Dot (and Echo Dot Kids) second-gen and later

Echo Pop

Echo Spot (second gen)

Echo Show 5 (and Echo Show 5 Kids)

Echo Hub

Echo Studio

Echo Auto

Echo Buds

Alexa+ will not work on the following:

Echo Dot (1st Gen)

Echo (1st Gen)

Echo Plus (1st Gen)

Echo Tap

Echo Show (1st and 2nd Gen)

Echo Spot (1st Gen)

Users can start a command on one Alexa-enabled device and continue it on another, ensuring a cohesive and flexible smart home experience. This feature is particularly useful for larger homes with multiple access points.

For more info, see our complete guide to Alexa+ devices.

Alexa+ Key Features

Enhanced conversational abilities: Alexa+ now has the ability to engage in more fluid and context-aware conversations that are on par with similar AI assistants.

The AI understands and responds to users' emotional tones, making interactions feel more human-like and natural. For instance, Alexa+ can detect frustration in a user's voice and adjust its responses to provide comfort or solutions.
Personalized assistance: Alexa+ is capable of remembering, making it able to recall personal details such as dietary preferences, favorite activities, and frequently contacted individuals.

This personalization enables it to offer customized suggestions to its users, like suggesting recipes that align with dietary restrictions or reminding users of important events or even recommending a song.
Advanced task management: Alexa+ integrates with various services to perform complex tasks, including making reservations. Users can now book tables at restaurants through partnerships with platforms like OpenTable.

The AI assistant is also capable of adding events to users’ calendars, has the ability to do tasks such as purchasing concert tickets, and share news updates. Need groceries? Alexa+ can do that too. Simply add items to a shopping list then Alexa+ will place orders directly through services like GrubHub.
Enhanced home security: Home security is more advanced with Alexa+ as it integrates with various security devices to bolster home safety. Alexa+ collaborates with Ring camera systems to provide detailed insights and summaries of camera events.

The assistant can monitor unusual activities, such as unexpected motion or sounds, and alert homeowners promptly with real-time notifications and view live feeds directly through Alexa-enabled devices.
Advanced lighting control: Users can adjust the lighting in their home based on time of day, activity, or mood. For instance, Alexa+ can dim the lights for a movie night or brighten them in the morning to simulate natural sunlight.

With improved natural language understanding, Alexa+ allows users to control lighting with conversational commands. Phrases like "Alexa, set the living room lights to a cozy ambiance" are interpreted and executed seamlessly.
Appliance coordination: By learning user habits, Alexa+ can automate daily routines. For example, it can start the coffee maker in the morning, adjust the thermostat when users leave for work, or turn off unused devices to conserve energy.

Alexa+ can also provide insights into energy consumption patterns, offering suggestions to optimize usage and reduce utility bills. Users can receive reports and recommendations tailored to their household's energy habits.
Advanced media control: Alexa+ provides users with control over their media be it streaming music or video. Now users can jump to specific scenes in movies or episodes on platforms like Prime Video with simple voice commands, enhancing convenience and user experience.

With improved music discovery capabilities, Alexa+ allows users to find songs with minimal information. Users can recall a tune from a TV show or a few lyrics, and Alexa+ will identify and play the song, making music discovery effortless.

By integrating with music services such as Spotify, Alexa+ can generate personalized playlists based on user preferences, moods, or activities, offering a tailored listening experience.

Alexa+ Outlook

Using an Alexa Voice Remote with the Echo Show 15 in landscape mode — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Amazon's introduction of Alexa+ signifies a strategic move to redefine the role of virtual assistants in daily life. By leveraging generative AI and expanding its ecosystem through partnerships, Alexa+ aims to provide a more personalized, efficient, and human-like interaction experience as it evens out the playing field with its competitors in the AI space.

As the service rolls out, users should ensure access to a compatible Echo Show device and active Amazon Prime membership to get the most cost-effective and comprehensive experience.