Alexa+ Is Now Available to Everyone, but Full Functionality Can Be Expensive.
About a year ago, Amazon announced Alexa+ , its updated digital assistant with generative AI capabilities. Shortly thereafter, the company launched an early access program, allowing interested users to test it for free . Unfortunately, this honeymoon period is over: Alexa+ has officially launched, and access to its most useful features now requires a fee.
While some features will remain free, most of Alexa+’s capabilities are now available only for a fee. Yes, you may already be paying for this subscription, but if not, you’ll be shelling out a pretty penny to keep the features you’ve been testing for months. (Of course, the standard Alexa voice assistant is still available if you’re not interested in the latest generative AI-powered development.)
What is Alexa+?
The new Alexa is largely similar to the old one, but now behaves a little more like other generative AI assistants, including ChatGPT. Beyond simple queries and questions, Alexa+ can handle more complex requests and understand context (meaning one complex question can be followed by another, without having to repeat it). Despite all the hype around generative AI, contextual awareness is truly one of the biggest improvements users will notice in their digital assistants.
Amazon has big plans for Alexa+. The company still wants you to use it to control smart home devices, set timers, check the weather, and check the news, but it also wants users to take advantage of “agent-based” tasks, or actions that AI can perform on your behalf. In theory, agent-based AI would allow you to ask the AI to order takeout, make a restaurant reservation, call an Uber, or order home repairs. I’m still unsure about the capabilities of agent-based AI assistants, and I think most people will continue to use Alexa+ the same way they use regular Alexa (for example, asking, “Is it cold today?” or telling it, “Set a timer for 10 minutes,” or telling it, “Play Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Manchild’ on repeat”), but what do I know? Alexa+ could really change the way people interact with their Echo devices.
How much will Alexa+ cost you?
If you’re interested in Amazon’s latest AI assistant, there are three ways to try it—one free and two paid.
How to use Alexa+ for free
The most basic Alexa+ chat feature is completely free. You can try it by visiting alexa.com or using the Alexa app for iOS or Android, where you can interact with Alexa in a chat window similar to ChatGPT. Amazon claims users can get “quick answers, plan research, and explore new topics.”
The problem is, you can’t use Alexa+ Chat for the tasks you’d probably want Alexa+ to perform. It’s a web-based chatbot only, not a device that can be connected to your Alexa-enabled devices. If you want the full Alexa+ experience, you’ll have to pay Amazon one way or another.
Prime members get a free subscription.
The good news is, you may have already paid Amazon for this privilege without even realizing it: Amazon currently provides all Prime members with full access to Alexa+, including through the chatbot and Alexa-enabled devices. Alexa+ also works with other Amazon services that are free to Prime members, including Prime Video and Amazon Music. Considering more than half of the US population has a Prime account , chances are good that if you’re even remotely interested, you already have access to Alexa+.
How to use Alexa+ without Prime
Perhaps you’re one of those rare “unicorns” who doesn’t have a Prime account but still wants to try Alexa+ on your Echo smart speaker. In that case, Amazon offers you the full functionality for just $19.99 per month. That’s a somewhat ridiculous price, considering a full Prime subscription (with all the extra benefits, from Prime Video to free shipping) costs $14.99 per month (or $139 per year). You’ll definitely save money by going with the latter option, which is likely one of Amazon’s main motivations—Jeff Bezos will never rest until everyone buys everything on Amazon.
How to enable Alexa+
If you choose one of the paid options, you can set up Alexa+ by simply telling your Alexa-enabled device, “Upgrade to Alexa+.” You can also use Alexa+ by logging into your Amazon account at alexa.com . And, as noted above, you can certainly keep the old Alexa voice assistant for now, whether you have a Prime subscription or not. While Amazon may retire the legacy assistant in the future, the company isn’t forcing anyone to switch at this time.