Amazon's next-generation voice assistant, Alexa+, has surpassed the 1 million user mark, a significant achievement for the company's AI-powered platform that debuted in February 2025.
The milestone, confirmed by Amazon in early July, represents rapid growth from the 100,000 users reported in May. This expansion demonstrates strong consumer interest in the revamped assistant, which Amazon has been gradually rolling out through an Early Access program primarily targeting owners of newer Echo Show devices.
Alexa+, powered by a combination of Amazon's own Nova models and Anthropic's AI technology, represents the most substantial upgrade to the platform since its original 2014 launch. The new assistant features significantly enhanced conversational abilities, allowing users to speak in natural language with half-formed thoughts and colloquial expressions while still being understood.
"A lot of customers are telling us they love natural, free-flowing conversations with Alexa," an Amazon spokesperson noted. The assistant can now handle complex tasks like coordinating dinner reservations while scheduling transportation and messaging contacts - all from a single request.
While currently free during the beta period, Amazon has confirmed that Alexa+ will become a standard Prime membership benefit once fully launched, while non-Prime users will pay $19.99 monthly. This pricing strategy positions the service as a compelling reason to subscribe to Prime, which costs $14.99 monthly or $139 annually.
The rollout hasn't been without challenges. Some early users have reported issues with response times and accuracy, with one user noting that Alexa+ "confidently will tell me something that is incorrect now instead of just saying it doesn't know." Amazon acknowledges these growing pains, with a spokesperson stating they're "continuing to fine tune the experience as we expand to more customers."
Amazon says approximately 90% of the promised Alexa+ features are already available, with remaining capabilities like browser access and certain specialized functions coming in future updates. The milestone underscores Amazon's strategy to integrate advanced AI deeply into its subscription services, potentially transforming Prime from primarily a shipping membership into a comprehensive AI-powered ecosystem.