#alexa-plus

#alexa-plus

The majority of Amazon smart speakers lean more into the "smart" than the "speaker," except for the Echo Studio. That device, which arrived in November 2019, was an imposing, sound-quality-first speaker that delivered Alexa functionality alongside impressive sound for a $200 device. But that was nearly six years ago - an eternity in tech product years - and the Studio has been due for a redesign. The 2025 model of the Echo Studio, which costs $219.99, is one of four new Echo devices - alongside the Echo Dot Max, Echo Show 8, and Echo Show 11 - designed for Alexa Plus.

Amazon's AI-powered Alexa is on its way to more homes soon. The upgraded assistant will be available straight out of the box with new hardware announced today. New Echo devices will come with Alexa Plus straight out of the box; it'll also be available to those who buy one of the new FireTV. Alexa Plus is still an early access program and only available in the US, but including it on the new hardware marks an important step forward for Amazon's overdue assistant overhaul.

Alexa Plus is coming to a bunch of Amazon's new and current Fire TV hardware. Just like before, you can summon the new, improved version of Alexa with your voice, but it's designed to be much more helpful and better at fetching context-sensitive information about things happening onscreen that you might normally reach for your phone to find. The company shared some ways in which Alexa Plus supercharges its X-Ray feature that tells you more about the content you're watching on Prime Video.