Discover how Amazon Alexa+ is redefining home automation and what it means for Prime users.
With a fresh blend of personality, intelligence, and expertise, a new Alexa officially called Alexa+ is set to transform Amazon’s smart home control hub from a simple command-taker into an enthusiastic and delightful assistant that can handle more complex tasks. But after over a decade of turning off kitchen lights and setting cooking timers, is Alexa truly ready to take on a more active role in our lives? Can it manage intricate responsibilities like ordering event tickets, adding kids’ soccer games to the family calendar, or even finding a repair shop and scheduling fixes? More importantly, are we ready to hand over control of our phones, calendars, and apps like Grubhub, OpenTable, and Uber to Alexa+? And are we willing to pay for the privilege of having a smarter, more capable assistant in charge?
When it comes to the cost, Amazon has temporarily sidestepped the issue for its 200 million Prime customers at the time of the announcement. That’s because the $19.99 Alexa+ service will be bundled for free with the $14.99-per-month Prime subscription. Alexa+ will start rolling out next month. You can sign up for a heads up at the just live Alexa site.
**Impressive Capabilities of Alexa+**
During the unveiling event, Amazon made a compelling case for Alexa+’s conversational abilities. You don’t have to worry about being overly precise. She Amazon insists on using she/her pronouns for Alexa+—understands natural English. (More languages are on the way.) You can interrupt her mid-sentence. You can ask follow-up questions. She’ll get you.
At its core, Alexa+ is powered by generative AI technology. This means consumers should brace themselves for the inevitable hiccups mistakes, misunderstandings, and the occasional outright confusion. That said, the more Alexa+ learns about you, your habits, and your preferences, the better the service will become. It’s designed to grow with you, adapting to your needs and making your life easier over time.
For example, if you turn on the living room lights every day just before sunset, Alexa+ will eventually suggest automating the task for you. And once the system learns your preferences, it might automatically add your favorite pasta brand to your grocery order. Of course, the more apps Amazon can onboard as partners, the more likely it is that Alexa+ will be able to handle your requests seamlessly.
**The Potential for Alexa+**
Amazon isn’t the only voice assistant platform getting an AI upgrade. Google and Apple have also been enhancing their platforms. While Alexa might not be the go-to assistant on smartphones, it’s still the leader in in-home voice assistance—and a major player in smart home control.
Imagine this: instead of fumbling with your phone app to name every smart light and room in your house, you could simply ask Alexa+ to set it all up for you. For millions of people, this upgrade could be a game-changer in how they manage their smart homes.
And let’s not forget the convenience. With Alexa+, you could receive a daily briefing newsletter right in your inbox, covering everything from top news stories and sports updates to movies, politics, and global events—all delivered straight to your email every day.
The possibilities are endless. Whether it’s simplifying your routines, managing your home, or keeping you informed, Alexa+ aims to be more than just a voice assistant—it wants to be your personal helper, ready to make life a little easier.
Unlike Apple and Google, which take pride in how much of their chatbot processing happens directly on the device, Amazon isn’t quite in a position to do the same—at least not yet. The reason? The existing Alexa devices in your home weren’t built for it.
That might change with the new Amazon Echo devices expected to roll out later this year and beyond. For now, though, Alexa+ will live in the cloud. While this could lead to better responses—after all, the cloud has far more horsepower than an Echo device—it might also make quick replies a bit of a challenge.
**The Bottom Line**
“Up until this point, we’ve been limited by technology,” said Panos Panay, head of Amazon’s Devices and Services division, addressing the audience at the event. “Every once in a while, a technology comes along that truly changes everything.”
The new Amazon Alexa+ certainly has the potential to be that kind of game-changer. Based on what we’ve seen so far, it seems to have the personality, intelligence, contextual awareness, and framework for new capabilities that could make it genuinely useful—maybe even indispensable. But will we give it the chance it deserves? That remains to be seen. Consumers can be pretty impatient with new technology. After all, it was our lack of patience that initially left Alexa on the sidelines.
Will Alexa+ be enough to win us over this time? That will be the real test of the platform’s personality and contextual skills. I, for one, am curious to find out.
