Alexa+ is here, but will it fix the greatest intelligent frustrations of Alexa’s home?

When the Amazon digital assistant turned 10 at the end of last year, I wrote an opinion article that said: “It is difficult not to feel that Alexa has hit a plateau.”

And now, after a decade of silently executing the show in millions of houses, driving without problems, from activating the lights to establishing boiling egg timers, Amazon seems to have admitted that too, so Alexa+ has been unleashed.

Amazon has greater problems, although beyond saturation, that the technological giant will wait for Alexa to solve the Ai-Superged.

Alexa, as we knew, wasn’t making money. More than $ 25 billion were reported in losses for the 2017 to 2021 brand device business, according to the The Wall Street Journal.

Enter Alexa+, Amazon’s attempt, with the attempt to turn his voice assistant into a paid service. And with that, a completely new set of questions about how Alexa’s future really looks.

During the last ten years, Alexa has been the reliable assistant, although sometimes frustrating, in my house.

My children, eight and six, do not remember a moment before they simply ask Alexa for a song, a story before bedtime or a light to light. It is a second nature for them in a way that still feels futuristic for me.

But if I have to start paying that experience, I will be forced to reassess: Alexa is really worth it?

When rumors of a Alexa paid for the first time arose, it was quite skeptical (see ‘Alexa notable everything except’).

Not that he does not believe in paying for good services. But the idea that Amazon, a company that built its empire on convenience and accessibility, would suddenly put Alexa’s functionality behind a payment wall seemed contradictory.

Alexa’s success was not just about her characteristics; It was the fact that these characteristics were woven in daily life without thinking twice. Start add friction, and suddenly that equation changes.

The new Amazon approach with Alexa+ seems to be banking AI as sufficient incentive to cough extra.

Although “extra cough” is not entirely precise, since if you already have an Amazon Prime plan in place, Alexa+ will obtain no additional cost.

However, that is the same model that Amazon used to introduce unlimited prime videos and music in the mixture, which now have subscription levels beyond what he obtains with their main ‘free’ access.

So, while we will all get used to the smartest responses, a more conversational assistant and a deeper customization, how long will that last and the difference will be significant enough to make us launch even more money, and even more data, in Bezos and the gang?

And the problem is not only if Alexa becomes smarter, it is if that intelligence really translates into significant improvements in how we use it. Because let’s be honest: for years, Amazon has been telling us that Alexa was becoming smarter and, nevertheless, I still have to listen “I found more than one device with that name …” with much more frequency than I should.

However, the most important question is what will happen to Alexa’s free version? Amazon has said that Alexa’s base experience will remain, but let’s be realistic; Once there is a paid level and a better version, there is an inevitable temptation to degrade the free level enough to push people towards payment.

Will that mean slower responses, small intelligent intelligence or less new features? Of course he will.

If Amazon really wants people, and particularly people like me (and I hope you, if you are reading The atmosphere) -To pay Alexa+, you must concentrate on the best indisputable intelligent home start ecosystem.

That means solving long -standing problems with device management, improving third party integrations and ensuring that Alexa is really more intuitive and proactive in home automation management. Not only throw fashion words from the problem and expect enough people to rise on board.

The new Powered routine creator is a step in the right direction and will definitely help when creating and keeping up of complex routines … but can a Alexa+ overhaled also so that we will scan disabled devices in the center of dedicated smart houses of Amazon, which is something that a basic Alexa is incapaz?

The reality is that Alexa’s domain in the space of the smart house has already been slipping. The Google wizard has also been staggering, to put it politely, but Apple’s homekit has been winning traction, and independent platforms such as Home Assistant and Homey are growing in popularity among enthusiasts.

Amazon still has the opportunity to block the conventional intelligent home, but has to make Alexa feel indispensable.

For now, I am waiting to see what Alexa+ really brings to the table in the front of the smart house. If Amazon really makes improvements in the front of the smart house, I would be happy to pay it.

But if it turns out to be just another advantage promoted by AI without a real improvement in the way Alexa works in my home, I could finally begin to look at alternatives.

After all, I have spent more than ten years living with Alexa. Maybe it’s time to see how life is seen with something else.