Everything Announced at Amazon’s February 2025 Event
Amazon has been focused on bringing generative AI to Alexa for the past few years, hitting multiple delays in launching new features that the company first announced in September 2023. The delayed Alexa 2.0 was poised for a 2025 release, and Amazon held a late February event where it made big announcements for the artificial intelligence-powered virtual assistant.
Generative AI in Alexa+
Giving Alexa the power of generative AI was already expected to be the star announcement from Amazon — and it was. During the last Devices and Services event in 2023, Amazon announced a gen AI-powered ‘Alexa+’ or Alexa Plus and a new user interface coming to an Echo device near you, and the company is now making it more real than ever before.
Alexa+ will reply with a more natural cadence, handle multiple prompts in a session, and generate content instead of providing canned answers to questions. It will also feature greater customization power to remember user preferences (think like ChatGPT’s Memory) for more productive user interactions, learning "the rhythm of your life," according to Panay.
Alexa+ Launch Date
The new Alexa+ will begin rolling out next month to some users in an early access manner, with a gradual rollout after that.
Alexa+ Subscription Tiers
Amazon’s Alexa+ will work behind a subscription service that will cost $20 monthly but will be free for Prime subscribers. A subscription-based system has been rumored for about a year, so this didn’t come as a surprise, but the rumors said it was planned to cost between $5-$10 monthly, not $20. At this cost, Alexa+ is the same price as a ChatGPT Plus subscription.
The Classic Alexa
The "Classic Alexa" will still be available for users who prefer not to pay the monthly fee, though it’s not known how long Amazon plans to maintain the current version.
New Echo Show User Interface
Amazon also announced a new revamped platform for the Echo Show with the launch of Alexa+. The new look in the Echo Show interface seems like it will be available in the larger Echo Show displays for now. Alexa+ will also have integrations with your Ring subscriptions to provide a new experience on the Echo Show.
Conclusion
Amazon’s Alexa+ is a major step forward in the evolution of the virtual assistant, bringing the power of generative AI to the masses. With its natural language processing, customization options, and subscription-based model, Alexa+ has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with our devices.
FAQs
Q: When can I get Alexa+?
A: The new Alexa+ will begin rolling out next month to some users in an early access manner, with a gradual rollout after that.
Q: How much will Alexa+ cost?
A: The subscription service will cost $20 monthly, but will be free for Prime subscribers.
Q: What is the difference between Classic Alexa and Alexa+?
A: Alexa+ offers natural language processing, customization options, and a subscription-based model, while Classic Alexa does not.
Q: Will all Echo devices get Alexa+?
A: Not all Echo devices will get Alexa+ initially, but the company has announced that it will be available on certain devices.
