Amazon has officially launched its long-awaited generative AI-powered Alexa Plus, marking a significant update in the world of voice assistants. This new feature allows Alexa to generate responses instead of simply repeating pre-programmed phrases. The assistant can also book Uber rides, tickets to shows, and offer personalized culinary advice in a conversational manner.
The enhanced virtual assistant will initially roll out in early access starting next month on four Amazon Echo Show devices: the Echo Show 8, Echo Show 10, Echo Show 15, and Echo Show 21. However, other Echo products may receive support later.
Alexa Plus will also be available on web browsers, the Alexa app, compatible Fire TVs, and Fire tablets. Notably, this new smart assistant is not currently supported on Alexa Built-in devices or Amazon Astro. Despite this, Amazon plans to expand its reach to additional devices in the future.
The new feature costs $19.99 per month but will be free for all Amazon Prime members. To fully utilize Alexa Plus’ features, users may need an Amazon Prime membership, as most require services like Music and Prime Video.
A total of nine Echo products won’t receive Alexa Plus support, including older generations such as the Echo Dot 1st Gen, Echo 1st Gen, and Echo Spot 1st Gen. The rollout will start in early access next month, beginning with the U.S. before expanding to other regions over the coming months.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/prakharkhanna/2025/02/26/alexa-plus-will-roll-out-to-these-four-amazon-echo-devices-first