Stephen Schenck / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Alexa Plus has launched in early access for a small number of users.
- The AI-powered assistant is missing a few of its promised features.
- The delayed features reportedly don’t live up to Amazon’s standards for a public release.
In February, Amazon held a live event to announce the upcoming launch of Alexa Plus. This souped-up version of Alexa is designed to leverage AI to be more intelligent, proactive, and generally useful. Alexa Plus has now launched, but it’s not available widely yet, and it’s missing a few features.
Today, Amazon has launched Alexa Plus in early access. However, not all Alexa owners are getting the opportunity to test out the new version of the company’s assistant. An Amazon spokesperson has told The Verge that Alexa Plus will initially only be available to a “small number” of customers. According to the company’s early access page, this includes customers who own an Echo Show 8, 10, 15, or 21. However, it’s expected that Alexa Plus will roll out to other devices later on. This webpage also reveals that a handful of features the company has previously demoed won’t be available until later.
On that front, The Washington Post provides some insight into what’s going on here. According to internal Amazon documents obtained by the publication, the features that got delayed were considered to be not up to Amazon’s standards for a public release. Some features that missed today’s launch include:
- The ability to order takeout on Grubhub based on a conversation.
- Alexa Plus’ ability to visually identify family members and remind them of chores.
- Brainstorming gift ideas and ordering them on Amazon.
- The ability to generate a story to entertain your children.
- Building shopping lists and ordering from stores.
- Chatting with Alexa Plus on the web.
While a number of features did come with the launch, some of these features may have issues. One such feature is the ability to read and summarize uploaded documents, including instruction manuals, legal documents, emails, and more. It appears this feature is arriving without the ability to delete, which means users will get an error message if they try to delete a file uploaded to Alexa Plus. Users will have to reach out to Amazon for help with deletion.
According to the outlet, internal emails say:
If Alexa+ users ask Amazon for help removing the documents, staff can help them delete the file, but must inform them that the process won’t erase all of the associated data. Staff are advised not to tell users “this will permanently delete the file” or that “no one in your home will be able to find the information from the file.”
It’s strange to launch a feature without the ability to delete, but it looks like a fix is on the way. It’s reported that Amazon predicts the fix will be issued within the next few weeks.
Alexa Plus costs $19.99 per month, unless you have an Amazon Prime membership, then you get the enhanced assistant for free. You can visit Amazon’s early access page to learn how to get started. Given that the service is in early access and should improve in time, you may want to wait on paying that monthly fee.
