Experience the game-changing capabilities of Amazon’s newest voice assistant, Alexa Plus, as it brings a more conversational and context-aware experience to your smart home. Unveiled at a press conference in New York City, this advanced AI-powered technology offers innovative features and major upgrades for seamless home management. As I witnessed firsthand during the event, Alexa Plus boasts an impressive new user interface and improved natural language skills that make controlling your devices easier than ever.
One of the most exciting changes is how Alexa can now understand and respond to natural language commands. No longer do you have to memorize specific phrases or device names; simply speak naturally and watch as Alexa executes tasks flawlessly. Even multi-step commands can be followed without repeating the wake word, making daily routines smoother and more efficient.
But that’s not all – with its vast knowledge of hundreds of smart home APIs, Alexa can now create complex routines through voice commands alone. This eliminates the need for manual programming through an app and gives users greater control over their connected devices.
The new Echo Show UI is another highlight of Alexa Plus. Available on both 15-inch and 21-inch screens (with plans to expand to other models), this sleek interface offers larger widgets for a more customizable experience reminiscent of a tablet interface rather than a traditional smart display. During demos, it showed smooth performance with minimal lag.
In addition to its revamped UI, Alexa Plus also introduces convenient features such as sending images, documents, and notes via email or through the app or web interface. The assistant can even parse information from these items – like events on your calendar – and set reminders accordingly.
For those who prefer touch controls over voice or smartphones, the updated smart home control UI provides easy navigation between rooms and devices with just a few taps. And with integration capabilities with Ring cameras, you can stay informed about what’s happening around your house, such as package deliveries or pet activity.
Cooking enthusiasts will also appreciate the new cooking controls feature of Alexa Plus. The assistant can now add recipe ingredients to a shopping list and even arrange for delivery from select grocery providers. It can also suggest substitutes for missing ingredients and set timers based on the steps in a recipe – all with natural language commands.
And thanks to its improved natural language skills, Alexa Plus can seamlessly interface with smart kitchen appliances, making tasks like preheating your oven easier than ever before.
With its impressive array of features and capabilities, Alexa Plus has the potential to revolutionize home automation. Available for $19.99 per month (included in Prime membership), it will be accessible through an early access program starting late March in the US only. Stay tuned for further expansion to other Echo devices, Fire TVs and tablets, and more!