Amazon Alexa Plus Expands Early Access with AI Enhancements

Amazon’s Alexa Plus, the next-generation voice assistant powered by generative AI, is making significant strides in its rollout. Initially announced in February 2025, Alexa Plus has now reached over a million users through its Early Access program, marking a substantial increase from just hundreds of thousands a month earlier.

This rollout is part of Amazon’s cautious approach under Panos Panay, the head of Amazon devices and services, who emphasizes ironing out issues before a full public release. The company plans to expand Alexa Plus availability broadly over the summer of 2025.

Alexa Plus introduces a more conversational and intuitive voice assistant experience. It can remember important details users share, recall information from documents sent via its dedicated email address, and manage calendars, music, and smart home devices with greater sophistication.

However, not all announced features are live yet. Key capabilities such as browsing Alexa Plus on a web browser, hands-free grocery ordering, scheduling spa visits, and personalized music creation are slated to arrive in the coming weeks and months.

Smart home control remains a critical focus. Alexa Plus supports creating routines by voice, controlling multiple devices simultaneously, and customizing smart home widgets on Echo Show devices. Yet, some users report limitations with device compatibility, such as issues controlling certain smart appliances.

Early user feedback highlights the assistant’s natural conversational abilities and improved task management, including booking rides, finding event tickets, and coordinating calendars. Still, the transition to a more conversational AI assistant poses challenges, especially in reliably managing smart home devices.

Amazon plans to price Alexa Plus at $19.99 per month upon full release, offering it free to Prime members. This subscription model reflects the enhanced capabilities and ongoing development of the assistant.

As Alexa Plus continues to evolve, it represents a significant step forward in AI-powered voice assistants, blending natural language understanding with practical smart home and lifestyle management. The coming months will be crucial in assessing its performance and user adoption at scale.