Alexa+ has officially started rolling out in the UK, bringing a much more personalised and conversational version of Amazon’s voice assistant to compatible Echo devices. The upgrade focuses on deeper personalisation, more natural conversations and the ability to turn requests into actions.
Alexa+ costs £19.99 per month, but Amazon Prime members can currently access it for free, with availability beginning from today for supported devices.
Alexa+ has finally made its way to the UK, despite being announced over six months ago. At the time, Amazon confirmed the rollout would begin in the US first, with a wider release expected later. Now it’s the UK’s turn, and the good news is that access is available from today.
Designed to make Amazon’s range of Echo devices far more personalised and responsive, Alexa+ marks a major step forward in the evolution of AI assistants. It's said to completely transform the Alexa experience, turning it from a simple voice assistant into something much more conversational and capable.
Before getting into the details, there are a few things to note. Alexa+ will begin rolling out in the UK from today, but it will only be supported on the most recent generation of Echo devices, as well as a select few from previous generations. If you buy a new compatible Echo model, Alexa+ should already be available. However, if you already own one, you’ll need to register online to receive the update, as it won’t automatically appear for everyone straight away.
It’s actually quite difficult to summarise everything Alexa+ brings, as it’s one of those upgrades that needs to be experienced to understand its full potential. That said, there are a few key areas the update focuses on, including deeper personalisation, more natural conversations and the ability to turn requests into actions.
For UK users, this also means Alexa becoming better at understanding British nuances, from local phrases and humour to the way we naturally speak. Another major improvement is the number of things Alexa can now help with, ranging from booking a table at a restaurant to suggesting recipes based on who’s coming over for dinner.
In terms of pricing, Alexa+ costs £19.99 per month, matching the $19.99 price in the US. However, there’s a big advantage for existing Amazon customers, as Prime members can access Alexa+ for free. Whether that changes in the future remains to be seen, but for now it’s a compelling bonus for anyone already in the Prime ecosystem.
