All articles tagged with #alexa
The piece speculates that OpenAI is pursuing a first hardware device—a voice-first smart speaker with camera features, potentially priced around $200–$300, and possibly developed with LoveFrom—aimed at challenging Alexa and extending OpenAI’s omnichannel AI capabilities into the home; it suggests a possible collaboration with Amazon while highlighting the broader race among Apple, Google, and Meta in smart home devices.
Amazon’s Fire TV is rolling out a free UI redesign in the US, featuring rounded visuals, faster interactions (claimed 20–30% quicker), and more visible apps (up to 20 pinned on the home screen); it also integrates Alexa+ AI for viewing suggestions and queue management.
An Echo privacy guide warns that default settings enable extensive data collection, including Amazon Sidewalk, indefinite storage of voice recordings, and optional human review to improve Alexa. To protect privacy, opt out of Sidewalk, set voice recordings to auto-delete after three months, disable the "Help Improve Alexa" feature, restrict Drop In to your household or turn it off, and regularly delete your sound history to minimize data exposure.
Verge reviewer Jennifer Pattison Tuohy says Amazon’s Alexa app redesign centers the Alexa Plus AI but makes the shopping list cluttered and fiddly, forcing more taps and exposing ads, leading her to switch to Apple’s Reminders and Siri; Amazon says the changes included test features and aims to make Alexa a generalist AI assistant.
Amazon has made Alexa+ free for all US Prime members as of February 4, 2026, upgrading Alexa to a generative AI-powered assistant with long-context conversations, proactive, multi-step task support, and deep smart-home integration. Prime members receive unlimited access across Echo devices, the mobile app, and browser use, while non-Prime users can access a limited free text-chat tier or pay $19.99/month for unlimited access.
Amazon’s Alexa+ is rolling out nationwide in the US as a $20/month standalone option, with a free text-based chat tier for non-Prime members to try. Prime members can upgrade by voice or on Alexa.com, and a 30-day Prime trial is available. Alexa+ expands conversations with agentic features like scheduling, reservations, and smarter smart-home control, and it’s aimed at nudging more users toward Prime, which costs less than Alexa+ on its own. The free tier has usage limits.
Amazon says Alexa+ is now available in the U.S. as a free Prime member benefit, giving Prime households unlimited access to the full Alexa+ feature set across Alexa-enabled devices, Alexa.com, and the Alexa app; non-Prime users can try a free Alexa+ chat experience, and a separate unlimited plan costs $19.99 per month. Powered by a new AI architecture from Amazon Nova and Anthropic, Alexa+ can manage tasks, schedules, reservations, shopping, and home automation across devices, with memory of past interactions and deeper conversations across platforms.
The article presents 16 practical uses for Alexa in the home, from lighting and multi-room routines to finding a lost phone, using Echo devices as a landline, prompting kids, tracking packages, and acting as an intercom or white-noise machine. It highlights how routines can streamline daily tasks, support busy families, and even assist with emergencies. While many features work without subscriptions, some enhancements (like Alexa Emergency Assist and certain Kids+ options) require paid plans.
Amazon is positioning Alexa+ as a memory-enabled assistant that can recall context across devices and act in the real world, such as suggesting and booking restaurants or pre-loading options after a user request. By expanding access via a new Alexa.com browser integration and wearables like Echo Frames, Amazon aims to move Alexa beyond home use and close the gap with ChatGPT and Gemini, while emphasizing user privacy controls.
Amazon has begun automatically upgrading Prime members’ Echo devices to Alexa Plus. The upgrade isn’t opt-in, but users can revert to the original Alexa; there’s no option to opt out of getting upgraded. Alexa Plus is an AI-powered overhaul aimed at competing with Gemini, with some users reporting ads or slower responses after the change.
At CES 2026, Amazon unveiled a range of innovative products and updates, including a faster Fire TV interface, expanded Alexa+ capabilities across web and devices, new Ring security features like Fire Watch and Sensors, a lifestyle 4K QLED TV called Amazon Ember Artline, and the evolution of its wearable AI, Bee, into a proactive personal assistant with new features for productivity and health tracking.
Amazon has launched a web browser version of its Alexa+ assistant, positioning it as a competitor to ChatGPT and Google's Gemini, which has positively impacted its stock, now up nearly 3%. The new Alexa.com offers various functionalities like answering questions, content creation, and task management, but is currently available only to early access users. Amazon's stock performance and future outlook remain strong, with analysts optimistic about its AI infrastructure and overall growth prospects.
Amazon's Alexa+ update, which automatically changed the device's voice to a more conversational and teenage girl-like tone, has frustrated many users who did not consent to the change. Users find the new voice overly chatty and intrusive, with some considering switching to other brands. However, the update can be reverted through the Alexa app or voice command, though many are unhappy with the forced nature of the update.
Amazon's head of devices, Panay, predicts a shift away from screen-based social media towards ambient intelligence, where technology seamlessly integrates into daily life through new hardware and improved AI like the updated Alexa Plus, emphasizing security and a cultural move away from doom scrolling.
Amazon has launched a new Alexa.com web portal that allows users to interact with Alexa via keyboard and mouse, enhancing control over reminders, files, and smart home devices, and bridging the gap between voice and typed interactions. This development extends Alexa's functionality to desktop browsers, making it more useful for family and personal management, although its adoption may be limited by existing AI routines and preferences. The portal represents a significant step in Amazon's AI strategy, with potential for further integration of smart home features.