After a whirlwind week spent with Alexa+ Early Access on Amazon’s latest Echo Show devices, it’s easy to see why Amazon’s ambitions for AI in the home are generating so much buzz—and a fair share of scrutiny. Alexa+, still in early beta, promises a reinvention of Amazon’s smart assistant, morphing Alexa from a reliable but straightforward voice interface into a much more conversational, intuitive, and highly personalized home AI. If Amazon gets it right, Alexa+ could mark one of the most meaningful leaps in smart living since the original Echo quietly debuted in 2014.
Setting up Alexa+ on the Echo Show 15 and the newly released Echo Show 21 is strikingly hassle-free—a testament to just how far onboarding for smart home tech has come. Face registration is a new step, designed to personalize greetings and quick actions based on who walks into the room. That facial recognition not only boosts convenience but also signals the service’s focus: Alexa+ is less a faceless utility and more a digital home companion.
One immediately apparent change is Alexa+’s more conversational nature. “Wake words” are still required to start a new chat, but within an active session, follow-up questions or topic changes feel organic. No more endlessly repeating “Alexa” in the same conversation. This shift recreates the fluidity of human dialogue and sets Alexa+ apart from its more rigid predecessors.
Sharing more personal data, however, is not without risk. Users are asked to sync contacts and calendars (with some limits, such as the inability to connect with certain enterprise Google accounts). Information is retained as “core memories” and can be retrieved on demand, but teething problems have emerged. For example, the voice interface tended to interrupt or truncate lengthy information—like frequent flyer numbers—requiring several repeated attempts for accurate entry. These interruptions highlight some lingering gaps in voice recognition and natural conversation management.
Yet, the path isn’t entirely smooth. Alexa+’s handling of older or third-party devices is inconsistent. For instance, initial integration with the oldest Amazon smart plugs failed, and connecting Google Home or Nest products required extra manual steps via the Alexa app. Official claims that certain devices “can’t be supported” were sometimes proven wrong after additional tinkering—suggesting either incomplete device lists or communication challenges in the current software.
Compared to its rivals—Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, or Google Home—Alexa+ is more conversational and organically aware, but it’s still not the “magic glue” that unites disparate smart home devices effortlessly. There’s progress in recognizing context and routines but not yet the proactive, recommendation-driven assistant many hope for.
Shopping with Alexa+ is another area where AI flexes its muscles. Ask for pajama recommendations, and you’ll get product carousels, price tracking, and alerts when a desired item hits your target budget. It’s a clever blend of commerce and personal assistance, directly tied into Amazon’s ecosystem and presenting a direct threat to standalone shopping apps and browser extensions.
However, even these cutting-edge features have early-access quirks. Image mailing sometimes fails, and games like trivia might unexpectedly cut out after just one question. Such bugs are familiar to beta programs, but they do underscore the unfinished nature of Alexa+—and Amazon’s urgent need to collect, analyze, and act on user feedback to create a truly reliable assistant.
Sports fans will appreciate the contextual intelligence: Alexa+ can recap last night’s Mets game or summarize highlights, using real-time data feeds rarely matched by past smart speakers. You can even create routines, such as getting nightly game updates. Just beware—one routine resulted in an unexpected shout across the house at 10:30PM about a Mets loss, showing both the power and the need for careful routine management in these new, ever-attentive assistants.
Humor is another facet of the new Alexa+, often defaulting to “dad jokes” or laid-back banter. While this light touch can make daily interactions warmer, situational awareness remains a work in progress. For more sensitive or serious contexts (like medical appointments), the fun-loving conversational style may miss the mark. Users would benefit from adjustable settings to balance professionalism, sensitivity, and playfulness in the assistant’s personality.
Amazon has promoted its commitment to transparency and user control; for example, users can review, delete, and manage what Alexa+ “remembers” at any time. The company assures that data is protected through encryption and not shared with third parties for advertising. Still, questions remain over where the line is drawn. Each expansion of Alexa’s memory, context, and conversational continuity increases the risk profile in the event of a security breach or policy shift. Independent security researchers and privacy watchdogs have raised ongoing concerns, advocating for deeper opt-out controls and more readable privacy guidelines.
Lack of full integration with enterprise-level or privacy-first ecosystems (such as certain Google accounts or Apple’s private relay features) may give cautious users pause. Amazon’s responsiveness to the inevitable flood of feedback during this beta period will be critical—not just for squashing bugs, but for honoring privacy rights and soothing fears about always-listening, always-learning assistants becoming data hoarders.
Columnists and power users note that while Amazon’s baseline voice assistant once trailed Google and Apple in answering factual questions or orchestrating cohesive smart home control, Alexa+ closes the gap. The generational leap from Alexa to Alexa+ is as significant as the introduction of iOS’s proactive “Siri Suggestions,” if not more so. Unlike rivals, Alexa+ begins with an implicit understanding of hardware, Amazon’s vast product ecosystem, and now, with generative AI, real-world context.
However, full integration with third-party ecosystems—Apple HomeKit homes, Google Home environments, open-source protocols—remains elusive and will be key to widespread adoption in homes invested in mixed-brand devices.
The best evidence of Alexa+’s future potential is not just in what works today, but in how rapidly the assistant improves in response to crowd-sourced feedback. Amazon is moving quickly—perhaps uncharacteristically so—to iterate on user reports, reinforcing the sense that Alexa+ is a living, evolving project.
As Amazon gears up for a global release, Alexa+ will likely become the focal point in a new era of digital home assistants. How well it balances user control against convenience, and how expertly Amazon handles privacy and security, will determine whether it becomes an indispensable fixture or yet another tech experiment that couldn’t quite earn users’ trust.
For now, Alexa+ is a beta bursting with ambition, sometimes brilliance, and a few familiar bugs. With careful refinement and transparent stewardship, it could well define what the AI-powered smart home looks—and sounds—like in the years to come.
Source: TechRadar I've spent a rollercoaster week with Alexa+ Early Access – here's my 7-day diary of all its ups and downs
Setting up Alexa+ on the Echo Show 15 and the newly released Echo Show 21 is strikingly hassle-free—a testament to just how far onboarding for smart home tech has come. Face registration is a new step, designed to personalize greetings and quick actions based on who walks into the room. That facial recognition not only boosts convenience but also signals the service’s focus: Alexa+ is less a faceless utility and more a digital home companion.One immediately apparent change is Alexa+’s more conversational nature. “Wake words” are still required to start a new chat, but within an active session, follow-up questions or topic changes feel organic. No more endlessly repeating “Alexa” in the same conversation. This shift recreates the fluidity of human dialogue and sets Alexa+ apart from its more rigid predecessors.
The Power (and Pitfalls) of Personalization
Perhaps Alexa+’s most radical departure from previous versions is its drive to learn about the user. By design, Alexa+ wants to know your schedules, contacts, preferences, and even some quirky details (such as whether you wear glasses). This personal approach—combined with a more “human” vocal tone and occasional humor—sometimes feels startlingly close to interacting with a sentient secretary.Sharing more personal data, however, is not without risk. Users are asked to sync contacts and calendars (with some limits, such as the inability to connect with certain enterprise Google accounts). Information is retained as “core memories” and can be retrieved on demand, but teething problems have emerged. For example, the voice interface tended to interrupt or truncate lengthy information—like frequent flyer numbers—requiring several repeated attempts for accurate entry. These interruptions highlight some lingering gaps in voice recognition and natural conversation management.
Next-Gen Smart Home: Progress and Frustration
Alexa+ stands out by pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in smart home management. Automatic device discovery—including support for printers and newer smart gadgets—puts it a step ahead of competitors. Integrating newer devices like the Ring Doorbell Pro 2 with the Echo Show is impressively seamless. Live feeds, alerts, and event summaries feel responsive and useful, cementing Alexa+ as the control hub many have wished for.Yet, the path isn’t entirely smooth. Alexa+’s handling of older or third-party devices is inconsistent. For instance, initial integration with the oldest Amazon smart plugs failed, and connecting Google Home or Nest products required extra manual steps via the Alexa app. Official claims that certain devices “can’t be supported” were sometimes proven wrong after additional tinkering—suggesting either incomplete device lists or communication challenges in the current software.
Compared to its rivals—Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, or Google Home—Alexa+ is more conversational and organically aware, but it’s still not the “magic glue” that unites disparate smart home devices effortlessly. There’s progress in recognizing context and routines but not yet the proactive, recommendation-driven assistant many hope for.
Generative AI at Home: From Art to Shopping
Integration of generative AI capabilities, including image recognition and content creation, marks one of the most notable advances in Alexa+. The assistant employs Amazon’s own Nova AI and Anthropic’s Claude models for real-time information synthesis, story generation, object identification, and even playful image prompts (“a cat riding a bicycle in Manhattan”). These skills bring Alexa+ on par with industry leaders like ChatGPT or Google Gemini in terms of raw intelligence—and, in some cases, offer unique household applications.Shopping with Alexa+ is another area where AI flexes its muscles. Ask for pajama recommendations, and you’ll get product carousels, price tracking, and alerts when a desired item hits your target budget. It’s a clever blend of commerce and personal assistance, directly tied into Amazon’s ecosystem and presenting a direct threat to standalone shopping apps and browser extensions.
However, even these cutting-edge features have early-access quirks. Image mailing sometimes fails, and games like trivia might unexpectedly cut out after just one question. Such bugs are familiar to beta programs, but they do underscore the unfinished nature of Alexa+—and Amazon’s urgent need to collect, analyze, and act on user feedback to create a truly reliable assistant.
Hands-On with Media, Sports, and the “Jokey” Side of AI
Entertainment controls through Alexa+ are more flexible than ever before. Personalized recommendations and media playback (particularly for Amazon services) show the platform’s strengths, though some third-party integrations and voice-driven navigation tasks still occasionally misfire. Notably, Alexa+ struggled to play a specific video trailer even after finding the content.Sports fans will appreciate the contextual intelligence: Alexa+ can recap last night’s Mets game or summarize highlights, using real-time data feeds rarely matched by past smart speakers. You can even create routines, such as getting nightly game updates. Just beware—one routine resulted in an unexpected shout across the house at 10:30PM about a Mets loss, showing both the power and the need for careful routine management in these new, ever-attentive assistants.
Humor is another facet of the new Alexa+, often defaulting to “dad jokes” or laid-back banter. While this light touch can make daily interactions warmer, situational awareness remains a work in progress. For more sensitive or serious contexts (like medical appointments), the fun-loving conversational style may miss the mark. Users would benefit from adjustable settings to balance professionalism, sensitivity, and playfulness in the assistant’s personality.
Privacy: The Shadow Over a Smarter Assistant
With personalization comes understandable anxiety around privacy. Alexa+ absorbs personal details and behavioral patterns faster than any prior Amazon device or service. Voice recognition, face scanning, and contact syncing can unlock true convenience—but only if trust is maintained.Amazon has promoted its commitment to transparency and user control; for example, users can review, delete, and manage what Alexa+ “remembers” at any time. The company assures that data is protected through encryption and not shared with third parties for advertising. Still, questions remain over where the line is drawn. Each expansion of Alexa’s memory, context, and conversational continuity increases the risk profile in the event of a security breach or policy shift. Independent security researchers and privacy watchdogs have raised ongoing concerns, advocating for deeper opt-out controls and more readable privacy guidelines.
Lack of full integration with enterprise-level or privacy-first ecosystems (such as certain Google accounts or Apple’s private relay features) may give cautious users pause. Amazon’s responsiveness to the inevitable flood of feedback during this beta period will be critical—not just for squashing bugs, but for honoring privacy rights and soothing fears about always-listening, always-learning assistants becoming data hoarders.
Strengths: Where Alexa+ Sets the Pace
- Conversational AI: Alexa+ delivers the most natural, unrehearsed dialog ever seen in a major home assistant. This helps bridge the gap between simple Q&A bots and science-fiction style home AIs.
- Personalized Routines: It learns preferences, stores “core memories,” and builds customized routines that reduce friction in day-to-day living.
- Device Discovery and Integration: Smart home discovery is comprehensive, and new hardware like Ring and modern lightbulbs are easily controlled.
- Generative AI and Shopping: The on-device generative AI is powerful; object recognition, image generation, shopping assistance, and deal alerts are expertly blended into daily life.
- Feedback Loops: In-beta feedback reporting is fast and interactive; users’ comments reportedly go straight to Amazon product leads and engineers, accelerating the product’s improvement curve.
Weaknesses and Watchouts
- Inconsistent Voice Recognition: Long strings (like account numbers) or complex task interruptions still challenge Alexa+’s ears, leading to mistakes and frustration.
- Limited Enterprise Integration: No support for some work accounts (notably enterprise Google), which limits utility for professionals.
- Incomplete Smart Home Automation: While improved, true unified control and proactive recommendation remain aspirations rather than reality.
- Buggy Beta Experience: Mid-sentence dropouts, game interruptions, and failed media actions remind users that this is not yet a finished product.
- Privacy Trade-Offs: The richer Alexa+ becomes, the larger the trove of deeply personal data on Amazon’s servers. Some users will opt out just on principle until industry-wide oversight catches up.
Alexa+ Versus the Competition
Amazon’s Alexa+ enters a transformed landscape, where Google’s Gemini, Apple’s HomePod (with Siri), and dedicated generative AI like ChatGPT all vie for dominance. Alexa+ differentiates itself by combining deep-rooted home device knowledge, personality, and multi-modal AI syntheses in one room-anchored package.Columnists and power users note that while Amazon’s baseline voice assistant once trailed Google and Apple in answering factual questions or orchestrating cohesive smart home control, Alexa+ closes the gap. The generational leap from Alexa to Alexa+ is as significant as the introduction of iOS’s proactive “Siri Suggestions,” if not more so. Unlike rivals, Alexa+ begins with an implicit understanding of hardware, Amazon’s vast product ecosystem, and now, with generative AI, real-world context.
However, full integration with third-party ecosystems—Apple HomeKit homes, Google Home environments, open-source protocols—remains elusive and will be key to widespread adoption in homes invested in mixed-brand devices.
User Experience: From Beta Chaos to Everyday Assistant
Daily use of Alexa+ on the Echo Show 21 is a masterclass in the fine line between revolutionary and raw. At its best, Alexa+ offers moments of domestic magic: it troubleshoots smart home bugs, anticipates needs, and feels conversationally present. Moments later, an abrupt crash or misunderstood request reminds users of Alexa+’s unfinished status. The program remains in strict “early access,” and feedback from forums and early-adopting Prime members is understandably mixed.The best evidence of Alexa+’s future potential is not just in what works today, but in how rapidly the assistant improves in response to crowd-sourced feedback. Amazon is moving quickly—perhaps uncharacteristically so—to iterate on user reports, reinforcing the sense that Alexa+ is a living, evolving project.
Outlook: The Tangled Web of the AI Smart Home
Alexa+ is not yet the seamless, sentient smart home controller of science fiction—but the threads are seriously starting to come together. Its strengths lie in personalization, proactive intelligence, and integration with the vast Amazon ecosystem. Weaknesses—chiefly privacy, integration gaps, and unfinished features—remain non-trivial but are being actively addressed in real-time.As Amazon gears up for a global release, Alexa+ will likely become the focal point in a new era of digital home assistants. How well it balances user control against convenience, and how expertly Amazon handles privacy and security, will determine whether it becomes an indispensable fixture or yet another tech experiment that couldn’t quite earn users’ trust.
For now, Alexa+ is a beta bursting with ambition, sometimes brilliance, and a few familiar bugs. With careful refinement and transparent stewardship, it could well define what the AI-powered smart home looks—and sounds—like in the years to come.
Source: TechRadar I've spent a rollercoaster week with Alexa+ Early Access – here's my 7-day diary of all its ups and downs