Amazon hosted a major press conference on Wednesday 26 February, where it unveiled its long-awaited, AI-powered Alexa upgrade. Called Alexa+, it is smarter, more conversational and can do much more than turn the lights on or play music.
The event took place in New York, but was weirdly behind closed doors – only invited press got to see it in person. However, T3 was one of those and reported back as things happened, so you can check out everything that was announced below.
New Amazon Alexa: the story so far
You can catch up on some of the important milestones in the new Alexa launch via the stories below:
- Amazon Alexa+ official – is the all-new, smarter version of Alexa you'll be using soon
- Amazon’s new AI Alexa could finally make its debut this month, along with new devices
- Here are 5 good reasons to pay for Alexa AI
- A smarter Alexa will reportedly cost you up to $10 per month
- Amazon Alexa payment plan coming soon, but is it worth it?
- Amazon's generative AI is about to transform your home and I'm sold
Is it ready?
While we know that the main focus of today's event will be the new, AI-powered version of Alexa, it's been rumoured that it won't actually be ready for public consumption quite yet.
It has been claimed that the more conversational, smarter assistant is actually getting some basic answers wrong. That could lead to an update, but we might have to wait a little longer for a full launch.
To be honest, if it does launch with a few teething troubles, it won't be the first AI service to do so – Apple Intelligence, for example, was found to incorrectly summarise some news stories, leading to Apple pulling the feature in a recent update until it can be fixed.
Will you have to pay for the new Alexa?
Ever since Amazon first debuted its next-gen Alexa, there have been questions about its cost. Indeed, the company itself admitted that, once launched, consumers will have a choice between Alexa versions – the current free assistant and the new AI Alexa.
This latter one will require a subscription, it is believed, of up to $10 / £10 per month.
The exact amount is unconfirmed at present, so it could be less, but it's nigh-on certain that you'll have to pay. It's also possible the new version of Alexa will only work on certain devices – possibly even brand-new releases. We should find out more later today, though.
New Amazon devices
There is the suggestion that we could see some new devices launch during the event, maybe those that support the new version of Alexa. However, it's not certain and considering there's no public live stream, it's unlikely there'll be a song and dance about them.
Amazon has instead announced a few devices in the build up already. There are new Eero 7 and Eero Pro 7 mesh network systems, which started to ship from Amazon retail sites around the globe today. We also have a new Ring Outdoor Camera Plus, which sports an attractive price.
If we do see any additional devices launch, they'll likely be in the Echo range to capitalise on Alexa 2 (or whatever it ends up being called).
What to expect during the event
While the event won't be streamed anywhere, we'll be in attendance in person so can bring you the news right here as it happens.
Considering it's being held in New York City, it's likely that it will mainly centre on US announcements initially – Amazon often launches new products and services in the States first, then offers them in other countries as and when they are ready.
It's also possible we'll get to play with whatever is announced – maybe test the new version of Alexa for ourselves, so we'll give you our thoughts as soon as possible.
At the event
It's Mat Gallagher here, and I'm in New York for the event. We're now in the building and about to take our seats. There was a lot of press here queuing around the block this morning to get in, so looking forward to what Amazon is about to announce.
TVs and displays
We've got a TV and a range of large displays on the stage for the demo. If this is a new version of Alexa it's likely to span across all of Amazon's products.
It begins
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy is on stage to kick off and the talk is around AI. Amazon wants to find practical uses for AI and that has become easier with generative AI.
Amazon's chatbot has been rebuilt with generative AI, giving better responses to uses. It is also being used for third-party sellers to list their products on Amazon, and to summarise reviews of products. Generative AI is being used in inventory, forecasting and more to increase productivity.
Alexa
Panos Panay, Senior VP of devices and services is on stage. Now we're expecting to hear about Alexa. Over the last year, engagement with Alexa has increased 20%.
We're now seeing a video about what Alexa has done for customers over the years.
Panay acknowledges, that Alexa is not always perfect. Until now, it has been limited by the technology available. AI can be intimidating on its own, so any solution needs to bring everything together.
Alexa+
The next generation of Alexa, powered by AI is here. Smarter, conversational, personalised, gets things done. Can fully interact, remember and help with all aspects in your life – with personality.
The blue bar now has 'Alexicons' at the bottom of the screen to give a visual character to Alexa.
Smart home has transformed with Alexa+, it can create a routine with just a few words. We're seeing a demo with a very natural conversation, combining Echo Studio devices and handing over to a Fire TV. Checking smart home cameras, just by asking questions about what it has seen.
Sharing docs with Alexa+ now allows it to reference them for your questions. You can then take action on those documents, such as adding dates to your calendar and set reminders based on that info.
Explore and Stories with Alexa
These new stories and explore functions are part of Alexa+ that are designed for interactions with kids and seems to work on the Kids version of Echo.
Booking and scheduling
The last demo saw Alex+ booking Ubers, sending messages, finding seats to a baseball game and more. It brings in a wide range of tasks without having to leave the main screen, or press any buttons.
Suno
The demo shows Alexa+ interacting with Suno to create a song from an idea. A wide range of apps can interact with Alexa+ to enhance the experience. Another example is with Amazon Fresh, picking items needed for the order with natural language, calling from recipes and adjusting based on needs.
When can I get it?
Alex+ costs $19.99 a month but free is for Prime Members and begins to roll out in March in the US. It's expected to roll out in other markets later this year.
There's also an Alexa.com, that allows you to interact on browser, plus a new phone app too.
