Amazon is slowly but steadily ushering users into the future of voice assistants with its upgraded AI-powered experience, Alexa+. Announced earlier this year, the revamped version of Alexa is now in the hands of over 1 million users — though it’s still officially in Early Access and not yet available to the general public.
Unlike the Alexa you know, Alexa+ is supercharged by generative AI, giving it smarter, more natural conversations, stronger personalization, and deeper smart home control. It remembers your preferences, can handle more complex requests in your own words (think: “It’s too cold in here” to adjust the thermostat), and can even create custom bedtime stories, summarize emails, or plan your vacation itinerary.
Early access is free right now, and once it officially launches, it’ll be included with Prime. Non-Prime users will need to pay $19.99/month to tap into the full experience.
More Than Just a Voice Assistant
This isn’t just a software update — it’s Amazon’s ambitious attempt to bring Alexa back to the forefront of consumer AI. While the original Alexa broke ground in smart home voice control, it lagged behind as ChatGPT and other large language models took over the conversation. Alexa+ aims to change that, offering a digital assistant that feels less robotic and more intuitive — one that can book your dinner, grab concert tickets, generate study quizzes, and even keep tabs on your Ring camera footage, all from a simple voice prompt.
According to Amazon, nearly 90% of Alexa+’s planned features have already rolled out, and early reviews are trickling in. Some users say it’s now smarter than Siri. Others think it’s still finding its footing. Either way, it’s clear Amazon is making a serious play to win back the AI-powered assistant race.
If you’ve received an invite — congrats. If not, hang tight. Alexa+ is rolling out in waves, starting with Echo Show devices in the U.S. and expanding from there.
With partners like OpenTable, Ticketmaster, Uber Eats, and Tripadvisor already on board, Alexa+ could soon be your personal assistant, concierge, and smart home command center — all rolled into one.
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