QUICK SUMMARY
Alexa+ is getting a major upgrade that expands its smart home compatibility, allowing it to connect with products from even more brands and automatically work out which device to use.
Amazon is also expanding Alexa+'s third-party integrations and payment capabilities, making the AI assistant more useful in general.
Amazon has issued an update to its Alexa+ assistant that will allow it to connect with more smart home devices than ever before. The update expands Alexa+'s compatibility with products from brands including Bosch, Delta, Ecovacs, Sonoff, Govee, iRobot, Twinkly, Yale Home, Whirlpool, Tapo and Eufy, with the AI assistant also able to automatically route requests to the right device.
With the new update, customers can simply describe what they want to do, and Alexa+ will map the request to the relevant device and feature. Alexa+ will also learn your preferences and suggest Routines that make better use of your connected devices.
The update comes just days after Amazon rolled out Alexa+ via Alexa.com in the UK, allowing users to access the assistant directly from their browser. Together, these updates are expanding both who can access Alexa+ and what it can actually do.
Alexa+'s ability to interact with third-party services is also set to improve. Since Amazon launched its revamped AI assistant earlier this year, its integrations have been relatively limited, with existing support for services including Ticketmaster, OpenTable, Uber, Thumbtack, Expedia, Yelp, Square and Angi.
Now, Amazon is looking to expand those capabilities by adopting the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open-source standard that allows AI models to connect with external systems and tools. This should make it easier for more companies to build integrations with Alexa+, with Canva, Headspace, Priceline, Lyft, Cengage, Virgin Atlantic and Weekend, among others, expected to launch support later this year.
Finally, Alexa+ is getting an update related to payments, with Amazon Wallet allowing customers to check out using the payment method already saved to their Amazon account. Brands including Atom Tickets, Cengage, Fandango, Priceline and Taskrabbit plan to build task-completion experiences with Amazon Wallet this year.
