I didn’t expect much when Amazon announced Alexa+ earlier this year. My Echo devices have been giving me robotic, stilted responses for years now. So what if they slapped some generative AI on it? But after a few weeks with early access on my Echo Show 15 and my other Alexa smart speakers, I was completely off base. No more robotic exchanges. Now it feels like there’s actually something helpful in the room. And controlling multiple smart home devices in one sentence actually works. Plus, I can make custom AI artwork just by talking. Alexa+ has improvements I didn’t know I needed and a few that genuinely impressed me.
Compound commands finally work the way they should
One sentence, multiple actions
The thing that always drove me up the wall: needing two separate commands just to turn off lights in different rooms. “Alexa, turn off the kitchen lights.” Wait. “Alexa, turn off the great room lights.” Now? “Alexa, turn off the kitchen and the great room.” Both lights turn off.
And it goes way beyond flipping switches. “Alexa, dim the living room to 30% and turn off the bedroom” gets it done. “Alexa, lock the front door and turn on the porch light,” too. The assistant understands context. It interprets what I mean even with imperfect phrasing. It executes multiple actions simultaneously. For anyone managing a smart home with dozens of devices, this improvement changes everything. Daily routines go from clunky voice commands to fluid conversations. Alexa can now even help you create new routines—just ask her.
The Echo Show 15 interface looks completely different
A command center that actually feels like one
The first time Alexa+ loaded on my Echo Show 15, I actually did a double-take. The old cluttered mess of an interface was gone. The new design borrows heavily from the Echo Hub. It has cleaner lines, better use of space, and a dashboard that works like an actual smart home command center.
The widget system lets me customize what information appears on the home screen. I can show Ring camera feeds, calendar events, and controls for smart home devices.
Everything feels more intuitive and responsive. The XXL widgets use the full screen of the Echo Show 15. I can see my weekly calendar, smart home controls, and shopping lists without feeling cramped. I can swipe between multiple home screen setups. I have different views for different times of day. The morning screen shows my calendar and the weather. The evening screen shows smart home controls and entertainment options. The upgrade has made all my Echo devices more useful.
Conversations instead of commands
The most noticeable change is auditory, not visual. Alexa+ sounds genuinely conversational, in a way the original Alexa never did. The voice has a natural inflection. It pauses appropriately. It adapts tone based on context. When I ask about the weather, she sounds casual. When providing important calendar reminders, her tone becomes more matter-of-fact.
The wake word repetition is gone, thank god. “Alexa, what’s on my calendar today?” Then I just follow up: “What about tomorrow?” There’s no need to say her name again. “Remind me about that dentist appointment” works too. She actually tracks the conversation thread. And if something goes wrong (it sometimes does), she’ll own up to it and try again instead of that worthless “Sorry, I don’t understand” response.
AI image generation is a surprising addition
Creating custom art with your voice
The most unexpected feature is Alexa+’s ability to generate AI images based on voice descriptions. My test: “Alexa, create an image of a man typing in front of a monitor.” A few seconds pass, and a detailed scene appears on my Echo Show screen. Not bad, either. Amazon’s using its Titan Image Generator for this, which is what powers the AI Art stuff on Fire TV.
The images won’t replace professional photography. The images have their uses, though, like quick visualizations, sparking ideas, and keeping kids entertained. I’ve made images for recipes I was planning, places I want to visit, and backgrounds for the Echo Show. The generation process is fast. You can request variations by slightly modifying your description. You can save generated images directly to Amazon Photos. This makes them accessible across your devices. I thought it’d be one of those gimmicks you try once and forget about. However, I keep using it.
The smart assistant Amazon should have built years ago
After weeks of testing, Alexa+ feels like the smart assistant Amazon promised years ago but never quite delivered. Natural language processing works well. Smart home control actually makes sense now. The redesigned interface looks modern. Unexpected features like AI image generation add genuine value. The Echo experience went from functional to genuinely useful.
Alexa+ is still in early access. It’s not perfect. It occasionally misunderstands complex requests, and there’s sometimes a slight lag. But the improvements are substantial enough that I can’t imagine going back to the original Alexa. I can’t wait to use it to create more routines to automate and protect my home. If you’re a Prime member with a compatible Echo Show device, Alexa+ early access is worth requesting.