Amazon has officially rolled out its AI-enhanced Alexa Plus, but initial access is limited to a select group of customers, as confirmed by Amazon spokesperson Kristy Schmidt in a statement to Technology News. The launch page for Alexa Plus indicates that not all functionalities demonstrated during Amazon’s recent product event are available at this time. Features such as the capability to brainstorm gift ideas, place grocery orders via voice command, or access the service through a web browser are currently missing.
Additional functionalities have not been included in the launch because they “don’t yet meet Amazon’s standards for public release,” according to a report by The Washington Post. For instance, Alexa Plus is unable to order takeout from Grubhub based on conversational context and cannot recognize family members in the household to provide them with reminders about chores. Furthermore, features specifically tailored for children, such as Stories With Alexa, will not be accessible initially.
At present, Alexa Plus is compatible exclusively with Echo Show 8, 10, 15, and 21 models. According to Amazon’s early access page, the assistant is capable of tasks such as ordering an Uber, recognizing objects, drafting emails, and searching for specific products.
In addition, Alexa Plus has the ability to summarize uploaded documents, although Amazon’s early access page notes that the feature to delete these documents is still in development. For the time being, users can reach out to Customer Service to request the deletion of original attachments.
Amazon first announced Alexa Plus in February, and the service is available on most Echo devices for $19.99 per month, or at no cost for Prime members. Customers can register for notifications regarding early access to Alexa Plus on Amazon’s website. “We’re starting with a range of features, and more will be introduced gradually,” Schmidt stated.
