Summary

  • Alexa+ is rolling out to some Amazon Echo Show devices in the United States.
  • Many of the new features do not work well or are missing completely.
  • Amazon says the new Alexa is smarter and more conversational, and can summarize emails and tell bedtime stories.

Amazon’s upgraded AI assistant is finally making its real-world debut, but it seems to be a bit of a dud. Amazon is pushing it as the future of voice assistants, while the launch arrives quietly with limited functionality and some issues.

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Alexa+ was announced early in the year, and it is now appearing on some Echo Show devices (via The Washington Post). However, most of the advertised features are unavailable or completely unreliable.

A big upgrade with a belly flop

Alexa+ is Amazon’s answer to ChatGPT and Google Gemini (and all the other AIs). It promises more conversational interactions, personalized routines, email summarization, and even bedtime stories. This upgraded Alexa is not free, and comes with a hefty $20 a month price tag.

The new and improved assistant is only rolling out to a few devices, mainly the

Echo Show
. But Alexa+ seems to be struggling on even those. Early reports suggest Alexa produces robotic and error-prone answers. Document and email summaries require uploading content to the Alexa app. Even Amazon’s own internal documentation warns that functionality “may not work as expected.”

Early testers said the assistant handles basic queries much more smoothly than the old Alexa, but it struggles with consistency. It frequently defaults to web searches, much like Siri, while AI-generated storytelling and custom routines are missing entirely.

It is still early access, so rough edges are expected

It was only natural for Amazon to create an LLM of its own. After all, the company put Alexa into millions of homes around the world and practically created the consumer-grade smart home. Now Amazon finds itself under pressure as Google and OpenAI push the boundaries of AI.

Alexa+ is meant to be Amazon’s answer, but this early version shows how difficult it is to create a functioning AI. The rollout feels more like a beta test than a major launch. Amazon hasn’t said when a larger rollout can be expected, but for now,

Alexa+
is more promise than product.