Amazon’s Alexa+ Assistant is Now Rolling Out in the UK

Amazon is continuing the international expansion of its next-gen Alexa+ assistant, which is now rolling out in the UK. Just like in other markets where it’s available, Alexa+ will be free for all customers during the Early Access period, but it will be priced at £19.99/month or free for Prime members after that.

Alexa+ first launched in early access in the US, where it’s now generally available for all consumers. It’s also available in early access in Canada and Mexico, where it’s been tuned for local language and culture. Amazon did a similar effort to make Alexa+ sound “authentically British.”

“Alexa+ knows what a “cuppa” is, will understand what you mean when you say you are “knackered,” and knows that “it’s nippy” means it’s chilly outside. It may even drop “you’re taking the mickey” or “Bob’s your uncle” into conversation,” Amazon explained in the announcement. Local teams made sure that Alexa+ understands the British accent as well as how British people pronounce dates.

Amazon claims that Alexa is the most popular voice assistant in the UK, with local customers having interacted with Alexa over 114 billion times over the last three years. Compared to the original version of Alexa, Alexa+ offers a more conversational experience, allowing users to ask follow-up questions and continue an existing conversation on another device. Alexa+ is also better at learning users’ preferences, and it can perform tasks such as making a restaurant reservation or connecting to Ring cameras to check for package deliveries.

In the UK, Alexa+ will be available first on most Echo speakers and select Fire TV devices. Customers who purchase a new eligible Echo device will automatically be granted Early Access, and early enthusiasts with a compatible device can also sign up here to receive an invite. While Alexa+ is also available on the Alexa mobile app, the web app isn’t available in the UK yet.