Amazon Unveils Alexa Plus, a New Version of its Smart Assistant
Amazon announced a new version of its smart assistant today. Alexa Plus comes with expanded capabilities, the company appeared to demonstrate, like finding concert tickets on your behalf or ordering an Uber to pick up someone at the airport. The upgraded smart assistant will also make it easier to have more natural conversations with it, but Amazon will be charging users for those new abilities for the first time.
New Capabilities and Features
Early access to Alexa Plus will begin in late March 2025 in the United States, and the roll out will continue in subsequent waves. Subscriptions for Alexa Plus start at $19.99 per month, but it’s free for Prime users. Given that Prime costs $14.99 per month, or $139 per year, it’s hard to imagine anyone opting to pay for Alexa Plus on its own. Many of the smart assistant’s new capabilities, such as jumping to the part of a movie where a specific song is playing, will also be dependent on services like Amazon Music and Amazon Prime Video. So to fully take advantage of Alexa Plus, a Prime membership almost seems mandatory.
Hardware Compatibility
There were no hardware announcements made at today’s Amazon event, but the company has confirmed that Alexa Plus will work on “almost every” Alexa device released so far. However, the Echo Show 8, 10, 15, and 21, which all feature touchscreen interfaces, will be prioritized during early access.
Conclusion
Amazon’s new Alexa Plus offers a range of exciting new features, but at a cost. The subscription model may not be appealing to all users, especially those who already have a Prime membership. However, the potential benefits of Alexa Plus, such as natural conversation capabilities and expanded functionality, may be worth the extra cost for some.
FAQs
Q: When will Alexa Plus be available?
A: Early access to Alexa Plus will begin in late March 2025 in the United States, with a roll out in subsequent waves.
Q: How much will Alexa Plus cost?
A: Subscriptions for Alexa Plus start at $19.99 per month, but it’s free for Prime users.
Q: Is a Prime membership required to use Alexa Plus?
A: While a Prime membership is not required, many of the new features and capabilities of Alexa Plus will be dependent on services like Amazon Music and Amazon Prime Video, making a Prime membership almost mandatory to fully take advantage of Alexa Plus.
Q: Which devices will be compatible with Alexa Plus?
A: Alexa Plus will work on “almost every” Alexa device released so far, with a priority given to the Echo Show 8, 10, 15, and 21, which all feature touchscreen interfaces during early access.
