Alexa+ is out, but missing a lot of features Amazon demoed last month

If there’s one thing you can count on with AI tools is that they’ll launch without most of the promised features. It happened with Apple Intelligence. It happened with Galaxy AI. Now, it’s happening with Alexa+, Amazon’s AI-heavy upgrade to its virtual assistant. The tool is officially available but it doesn’t do a whole lot, according to reporting by The Washington Post.

The paper reviewed a number of internal company documents that noted the delay of many features. These documents suggest that a bunch of tools won’t be available for two months or longer. Alexa+ users won’t be able to use the platform to order takeout on Grubhub or identify family members via camera to remind them to do chores.

The same goes for that neat-sounding tool that the company says will auto-generate a story to entertain kids. Also, Alexa+ cannot be used to brainstorm gift ideas or order groceries. Finally, there isn’t a browser-based version available. The company says these delays are because the features do not “meet Amazon’s standards for public release.”

So what can Alexa+ do right now? I haven’t gotten a chance to fool around with it, but the early access page suggests customers can use it to order an Uber, identify objects and draft emails. That’s something, I guess.

Alexa+ is included with Amazon Prime but non-members have to pony up $20 per month. It may not be accessible to everyone just yet, as availability is expanding over the coming weeks and months. Also, it only works on devices with screens. These include the Echo Show 8, 10, 15 and 21.

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