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There were rumors about this, and now it’s official: Alexa is about to get a whole lot smarter.
Amazon announced they’re rolling out a new version called “Alexa Plus” to a handful of users in March, then everyone else over the next few months. It’s supposed to be more like an ACTUAL assistant.
They say she can do things like make dinner reservations . . . order groceries . . . book an Uber . . . text people . . . buy stuff on Amazon . . . and snag concert tickets when they hit Ticketmaster.
She can also browse the internet and complete tasks. One example they gave was getting an appliance fixed. She can find a repair place, set up an appointment, and add it to your calendar all on her own.
She also remembers things. Like, you could tell her your family is coming over for dinner, and she might say, “Don’t forget, your nephew is gluten-free.”
She’s proactive in other ways too, like telling you to leave early because traffic is bad. Amazon says it feels less like interacting with tech, and more like “engaging with an insightful friend.”
Prime members will get it for free. Everyone else will have to pay $20 a month. (But Amazon Prime only costs $15 a month.)
Basically, it means everyone is about to get their own virtual assistant that can do a LOT more than just turn lights off.
People with newer Echo Show devices will get it first. That’s Amazon’s smart speaker with a built-in screen. (It has to be an Echo Show 8, 10, 15, or 21.)
(Amazon / AP / The Verge / ZDNet / CNN)
(Here’s a video. Google has been working on the same thing with their Gemini assistant. Apple also just gave Siri a big upgrade.)
