Alexa+ Heres how to sign up for early access

Date:
Fri, 28 Feb 2025 21:30:00 +0000

Description:
Amazon's now letting customers in the United States sign up for early access to Alexa+. Here's how to do just that and the Echo Show device you'll need to be eligible.

FULL STORY ======================================================================You can sign up to try Alexa+ on Amazon.com Amazon unveiled the super-charged Alexa
on Feb. 26 and will begin a phased rollout in March in the US You'll need an Echo Show 8, 10, 15, or 21 to be eligible for early access

Amazon finally revealed the Alexa upgrade weve all been waiting for several years for, and Alexa+ is set to begin an early access rollout for those in
the United States next month, March 2025.

Itll be a good few months, at least, before all eligible users have it.
Still, if youre itching to try out the super-charged Amazon assistant that blends natural conversing with some serious backend smarts, there is a path for at least signing up and having the correct device to potentially unlock access early.

While Alexa+ will be free with a Prime membership or $19.99 a month if you dont have one, access to the service is free during the Early Access period. So, lets walk through how to sign up and tell Amazon youre interested, plus the device type youll need to use Alexa+. How to sign-up for Alexa+ Early Access (Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

First things first, youll want to head over to Amazons landing page that invites you to Meet the new Alexa here . You can watch Amazons trailer for
the new virtual assistant, but we recommend you read our breakdown of what
you need to know about Alexa+ here .

If you scroll down the page, on the right side, youll see a box saying,
Alexa+ is coming soon." Then, if youre signed into Amazon, you can sign up to mark your interest and be notified when its available. Doing this puts you in the waiting queue to access Alexa+.

Amazon said that access will begin rolling out in waves starting in March
2025 for customers in the United States. There is no timeline yet for locations outside the US, but it will likely be a bit, considering Amazons slow and steady approach here.

However, it doesnt seem like capacity is a long-term concern, with Daniel Rausch, Amazons VP of Alexa and Echo, telling TechRadar it's ready, saying, Yes, it is very nice to have AWS at Amazon.

Once you sign up, youll see We'll email you when available and receive an email confirming just that. However, you will need a particular Echo device
to be among the first to get the chance to try out Alexa+. (Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

And that would be one of these Alexa-powered smart displays: Echo Show 8,
Echo Show 10, Echo Show 15, or Echo Show 21. No luck if you have the smallest Echo Show or a standard Echo smart speaker for early access.

Amazon makes it clear that its not limited if you already had one of these devices before Alexa+ was announced.

We will start rolling out early access to US customers who own or purchase an Echo Show 8, 10, 15, or 21," which is pretty clear that you can buy one now to get access.

While none of these models are currently discounted, Amazon is known for offering discounts, and theres a good chance these will see some in the future. Further, Amazons latest Echo Shows the 15 or the 21 should be excellent screens for taking advantage of all that Alexa+ is set to offer. TechRadar just reviewed the Echo Show 21 and gave it four out of five stars, noting its an excellent, oversized smart display with a great cooking companion and smart home chops. The Echo Show 21 is available for $399.99 at Amazon .

Of course, if you dont need a 21.5 inch screen, the Show 8 , Show 10 , or
Show 15 are better options to consider. They are also a bit more affordable
in the United States at $149.99, $249.99, and $299.99, respectively, compared to the $399 Echo Show 21.

Were eager to go hands-on and spend more time with Alexa+, so much so that
Ive already signed up for a chance at early access and have an Echo Show 21. Once we go hands-on, well return with our early impressions and tips to get the most out of Amazons latest. You might also like All your burning Alexa+ questions answered by one of the people who built it Alexa Plus explained: 9 things you need to know about Amazon's new AI-powered assistant Amazon's goal is to put an Echo screen in everyones house



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/home/smart-home/alexa-heres-how-to-sign-up-for-early -access


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)