Amazon’s next-generation AI assistant, Alexa Plus, is officially available to all customers in the United States as of Wednesday. After nearly a year in an “early access” phase, the upgraded voice assistant has rolled out nationwide with a new pricing model that makes it a major perk for Amazon Prime subscribers.
Pricing and Availability
For the first time, Amazon is charging a monthly subscription fee for its voice assistant—but not for everyone. Alexa Plus costs $19.99 per month for standalone subscribers. However, the service is included at no additional cost for Amazon Prime members as part of their $139 annual membership.
Customers who do not have a Prime membership can still try the new technology through a free, text-based version of Alexa Plus. This limited tier allows users to chat with the assistant via the Alexa app and website to ask questions, research topics, and plan events, though it lacks the full device-wide integration and voice capabilities of the paid plan.
New “Agentic” AI Capabilities
The new Alexa Plus is powered by generative AI, designed to be more conversational, personalized, and capable than the original assistant launched more than a decade ago. According to Amazon, the upgrade allows for more fluid interactions, eliminating the need for users to repeatedly say the wake word “Alexa” during a conversation.
Beyond better conversation, the assistant introduces “agentic” capabilities, meaning it can act as an agent to complete complex tasks on a user’s behalf. Features highlighted at launch include:
- Booking Services: Users can ask Alexa Plus to reserve a table on OpenTable, book a ride with Uber, or find concert tickets via Ticketmaster.
- Smart Home Control: The assistant offers more seamless management of connected devices.
- Personalization: It learns from digital activity to provide more relevant answers and manage calendars more effectively.
- New Voices: The update includes new voice options designed to sound less mechanical and more engaging.
Improving Engagement
Amazon aims for Alexa Plus to be a significant driver of engagement and Prime retention. Daniel Rausch, Amazon’s president of Alexa and Echo, noted that users with access to the new assistant during the early access period interacted with it two to three times more often than the standard version. Rausch stated that engagement rises every week in a customer’s journey, a metric the company views as a clear indicator of the product’s success compared to typical consumer electronics usage trends.
How to Upgrade
Prime members can activate the new service immediately by saying, “Alexa, upgrade to Alexa Plus” to their existing compatible devices. Alternatively, users can sign in through the Alexa website or app. For non-Prime customers, the standalone subscription and the free text-based trial are also available starting this week. The service is currently exclusive to the U.S., with no specific timeline announced for international expansion.
