Amazon has expanded availability of Alexa+, its upgraded AI assistant, to customers across the United States.
The full Alexa+ experience is included for Prime members at no extra charge, while non-Prime customers can either use a free, text-based Alexa+ chat in the Alexa app and at Alexa.com, or subscribe for $19.99 (€16.91) per month for unlimited access. The pricing is something of a curiosity as Prime itself can be purchased for $14.99 a month.
Amazon thinks of Alexa+ as a more conversational upgrade to the original assistant, designed to handle more complex tasks and connected-home routines through “natural, flowing” interactions. The company says customers are using Alexa+ for activities including restaurant discovery and reservations, ride bookings, calendar management, homework help, meal planning and smarter home automation, and claims Alexa+ is driving more than double the level of interaction compared with before.
The rollout covers Alexa-enabled devices as well as access via the web and the Alexa app, with Amazon signalling ongoing updates to add capabilities over time.
