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For years, I’ve dreamed of a true smart home system — one that adapts to how I use it and takes independent actions before I have to ask. When Alexa+ was first announced, I hoped it would be the step forward I’ve been waiting for, and while it’s certainly an improvement, I believe there’s still a lot of room for growth.

Conversationally, Alexa has never been on par with Google Assistant. Alexa requires users to use the trigger phrase for each command, while Google Assistant would listen for a few seconds after completing a task for further instructions. That made Google more natural to converse with. On the other hand, Alexa felt like a better option for smart home use, even if vocal commands were more stilted.

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Alexa+ has definitely taken its conversational skills up a notch, but while the upgrade is a huge step forward, it still hasn’t reached its full potential. For now, Alexa+ is only available in early access, and like any kind of beta, it still has a few bugs to work out. Reception overall has been mixed. Some users love the changes, but others think the upgrades are moving in the wrong direction.Amazon

I can see both sides of the argument. Here’s what’s new, and what I think Alexa+ still needs to work on.

Conversation feels a lot less robotic

When you ask the base version of Alexa a question, she’ll answer. And sometimes that answer feels like it can go on forever. While the original model has a tendency to drone on (and tack extraneous information on the end of an answer), Alexa+ is better at handling interruptions.

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The service isn’t cheap

Alexa+ is absolutely another way to pull users into the Prime ecosystem. The upgrade is currently priced at $19.99 per month for non-Prime users, while Prime subscribers get it for free. And once you’re a Prime subscriber, why wouldn’t you take advantage of the free shipping, Prime Video, and other offers?Amazon

Some users have expressed concerns that Alexa+ might one day have a free, ad-supported tier. While that’s a common way to cover costs for companies, most users don’t want to broadcast advertisements into their home. In a recent investor call, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy suggested that some Alexa+ product recommendations could be sponsored, rather than genuine suggestions.

Alexa+ is actually a decent artist, but other skills miss the mark

One of the upgrades Alexa received is the ability to generate content. More specifically, you can ask it to draw or paint a picture based on voice input. It’s a fun way to pass a few minutes here and there, and it’s something kids will appreciate. I don’t see any real use for the feature outside of entertainment, however.

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Smart home controls have received a major improvement, though. It’s easy to set up routines now through voice commands alone, versus fighting through the often-obtuse Alexa app. For instance, I could say, “Alexa, each day at 7 AM, turn on my office light and turn on the plug for the kettle.”

It’s a good start, but the journey ahead is long

Alexa+ brings in some serious upgrades that shouldn’t be underestimated, but if you only make a judgement based on the published documentation, you’ll be disappointed. Amazon’s blog posts about Alexa+ make it seem like an AI tool that takes all the best parts of ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and others and rolls them into one, and it definitely isn’t that.

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However, Google just announced Gemini for Home, a service that will integrate Gemini into the existing Google Home setup and replace the aging Google Assistant. Part of what makes Alexa+ so powerful is its use of LLMs, but Gemini has proven its worth time and time again. With Gemini for Home stepping into the arena, the competition just became a lot more fierce.

I’m cautiously impressed by what I’ve seen so far, but I don’t think it’s time to pop the champagne and celebrate just yet. Alexa+ will only get better with time, and I look forward to revisiting it when all of the kinks have been ironed out.