If you’ve ever had to rebuild your smart home after a setback, the arrival of Amazon’s refreshed Alexa+ might feel like a timely development. This upgraded assistant now taps into cutting-edge generative AI and integrates top-notch models like Anthropic and Amazon Nova, aiming to shift from a basic tool to an intelligent, agentic helper capable of managing your calendar, booking reservations, and even reviewing security footage.
After a devastating house fire in 2024 forced me to rethink my home setup, I decided it was the perfect moment to test Alexa+ on an Echo Spot. The initial setup was refreshingly simple—a quick QR code scan automatically connected the device to Wi‑Fi and triggered the upgrade. Still, I couldn’t help noticing that the Alexa app itself felt a bit crowded, making it tricky to adjust service preferences to my liking.
In everyday tests, Alexa+ handled straightforward tasks like checking calendar entries with a degree of ease. Yet when it came to storing details such as frequent flyer numbers or summarising a school newsletter, the assistant missed some crucial information. Even setting up price alerts on Amazon didn’t yield the real‑time accuracy you’d hope for, leaving a few gaps in its performance.
While Alexa+ is still in its beta phase and clearly needs further refinement, it stands as a promising step towards a more responsive and autonomous smart assistant. For anyone fine‑tuning their smart home, these early impressions serve as a reminder to set realistic expectations while keeping an eye on what’s coming next.
