Amazon’s new and improved version of Alexa is called Alexa+. The next-generation upgrade is more conversational, can execute complex tasks, and is more personalized. While the rollout starts next month on select Echo Show devices, Amazon claims it will eventually be available on every Alexa-powered device the company has shipped. It will cost $20 monthly but will be free for Amazon Prime customers.
Amazon says Alexa+ is “smarter than she’s ever been before. ” It can detect your tone and deliver answers in a more empathetic voice. It even has more powerful visual capabilities. “I’m not just an assistant; I’m your new best friend in the digital world,” Alexa+ said during an onstage demo on Wednesday.
At the event, Panos Panay, Amazon’s vice president of devices and services, listed other things the voice assistant can now do, such as create study plans, text a babysitter, and call an Uber ride for a friend. He and other company executives also said Alexa could fetch videos from Ring cameras—such as checking whether a user’s dog was walked that day—and remember handwritten recipes, emails, and other documents shared with it.
“She’s smarter than she’s ever been before, but she’s also approachable,” Panay said.
Alexa is built into smart speakers, Amazon Fire TVs, and earbuds. The Seattle-based tech giant launched its popular voice assistant in 2014 alongside its first Echo device, which responds to voice commands. Panay said Amazon has sold more than 600 million Alexa-enabled devices and that user engagement grew 20% last year compared to 2023. Some market estimates have shown that Alexa holds the largest market share among voice assistants.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.