Alexa+ Launches in Early Access in the US

Alexa+, the next-gen version of Amazon’s assistant, is launching in early access in the US today. Alexa+ Early Access is available for free to both Prime and non-Prime members, but users will need to own an Echo Show 8, 10, 15, or 21 to be selected.

Alexa+ will be priced at $19.99/month at the end of the early access period, and it will also be free with an Amazon Prime subscription. You can sign up to be notified about Alexa+ Early Access on this page, and Amazon plans to add support for more Echo devices over time, as well as Fire TV and Fire tablets.

During the early access period, Alexa+ will be able to answer questions, manage calendars, send emails and texts, search photos, play music, and control smart home devices. The next-gen assistant also supports multiple users in the same household, and it can be used to shop on Amazon or access third-party services like Uber and OpenTable.

However, more features will be coming soon, including the ability to Order groceries with your voice and accessing Alexa+ via a web browser. New Amazon Kids+ features such as Stories with Alexa and Explore with Alexa are coming later.

In a detailed FAQ, Amazon explained that Alexa+ will support all existing routines and add more granular controls to them. As an example, it will be possible to add multiple starting events in a single routine, or start routines based on monthly and annual schedules or weather events. As for existing Alexa skills, Alexa+ will only support a fraction of them. “The selection will be based on usage to ensure customers’ favorite and most actively used skills remain available,” the company explained.

Lastly, people who join the Alexa+ Early Access will be able to leave it at any time and see their Echo devices return to the original Alexa experience. Testers can also share feedback with the Alexa team by just saying “Alexa, I have feedback.”