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 just wrapped up an 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 of today’s event — 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.
Panay likened the evolution of Alexa and its obstacle-ridden road toward generative AI to a symphony warming up before a concert and how the conductor raises the baton to transform "disconnected sounds into a masterpiece."
Alexa+ Features
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, 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 finally here, and it brings a new level of generative AI to the virtual assistant. With its natural cadence, customization power, and subscription-based model, Alexa+ is poised to take on the competition. We can’t wait to see how well it performs in real-world scenarios.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When will Alexa+ be available?
A: Alexa+ will begin rolling out next month to some users, with a gradual rollout after that.
Q: How much will Alexa+ cost?
A: Alexa+ will cost $20 monthly, but will be free for Prime subscribers.
Q: Will the "Classic Alexa" still be available?
A: Yes, the "Classic Alexa" will still be available for users who prefer not to pay the monthly fee.
Q: What is the new Echo Show user interface like?
A: The new Echo Show interface features a sleeker layout for your favorite widgets and a cohesive look throughout the screen. It also brings adaptive display to the large Echo Show devices, showing a simplified view from afar that transitions to a customized screen when you approach the device.
