Amazon announced its long-awaited generative AI-powered Alexa Plus today, and it’s one of the biggest updates in the history of voice assistants. It can generate responses instead of simply repeating pre-programmed phrases. Alexa Plus can also book you Uber rides, tickets to your favorite shows, and offer help with cuisines in a conversational manner. But it’s not supported by all Echo products.
The enhanced Amazon virtual assistant will roll out in early access starting next month with only four Amazon Echo devices, at least for now. The company hasn’t ruled out the possibility of other products getting Alexa Plus but has included four Echo products that come equipped with a screen—which would provide the best Alexa Plus experience with the new dashboard and intuitive animations.
Does My Amazon Echo Support Alexa Plus?
Amazon’s Alexa Plus will be supported by these Echo devices first:
- Echo Show 8
- Echo Show 10
- Echo Show 15
- Echo Show 21
The company says the new Alexa Plus will “start rolling out in the U.S. in the next few weeks during an early access period.” It is prioritizing these four Echo Show products during the early access phase, so while support for other Echo devices is expected, there’s no confirmation on specific models or availability timelines.
Alexa Plus will also be available on web browsers, the Alexa app, compatible Fire TVs, and Fire tablets. However, Amazon states, “this experience is not currently supported on Alexa Built-in devices and Amazon Astro, however, we look forward to expanding Alexa+ to additional devices in the future.”
These Amazon Echo Products Are Confirmed To Not Get Alexa Plus Support
Amazon has confirmed the names of Echo products that will not support the new smart assistant. According to the company, Alexa Plus “will be available on all Echo devices, with the exception of certain older-generation Echo devices.” These include:
- Echo Dot 1st Gen
- Echo 1st Gen
- Echo Plus 1st Gen
- Echo Tap
- Echo Show 1st Gen
- Echo Show 2nd Gen
- Echo Spot 1st Gen
You can continue to use the original Alexa on these devices.
Alexa Plus Price And Availability
The new generative AI-powered Alexa Plus costs $19.99 per month but will be free for all Amazon Prime members. This makes the $14.99 per month, or $139 per year, Amazon Prime membership more appealing.
Most of Alexa Plus’ features require Amazon’s own services like Music and Prime Video (to jump to a specific movie scene from a song), so you’ll likely need a Prime membership to make the most of this new smart assistant.
Amazon will roll out the overhauled Alexa Plus in early access starting next month. It will be released in the U.S. first and “subsequently in waves [to other regions] over the coming months.”
