Early tests show promise in agentic AI features, but basic execution remains inconsistent
A fresh start for a rebuilt smart home
After losing my previous home — and the many Alexa-powered devices in it — to a fire in March 2024, I saw the rebuild as an opportunity to rethink my smart home setup. Amazon’s newly launched Alexa+, powered by generative AI, promised more than timers, smart light controls, and music requests. It claimed it could summarize schedules, read emails, process files, remember details, and even take actions like booking dinner or buying tickets.
I decided to put Alexa+ through real-world, day-to-day tests, starting with a brand-new Echo Spot in a temporary home. The goal: see if Alexa’s AI-powered upgrade could justify keeping her at the center of our smart home.
Setting up Alexa+
The QR code onboarding process is far easier than the old network-toggling setup. After linking my Google account for calendar and email access, I connected services like OpenTable, Ticketmaster, Uber, and Thumbtack.
While permissions felt transparent, the Alexa app’s design remains cluttered and unintuitive. Basic settings like default music services are oddly buried, and some integrations — like Audible for audiobooks — are broken.
Calendar management: functional but clumsy
Alexa+ handled simple scheduling queries well:
- “What’s on my calendar today?” worked smoothly.
- Follow-up questions didn’t require repeating the wake word, though responses sometimes lagged.
Adding events, however, was awkward. Alexa cut me off mid-sentence to ask for a title, breaking the natural flow.
Memory: unreliable and literal
Testing the “remember this” feature with my frequent flyer number highlighted problems:
- Alexa interrupted before I could share the number.
- When saved, she read it back as a long numeral instead of digit-by-digit — impractical for actual use.
- Follow-up checks sometimes returned “I don’t have that saved yet,” showing inconsistent retention.
Email summarization: useful, but incomplete
When I forwarded a school newsletter to Alexa, she accurately summarized key dates and events. She could also add them to my calendar — but only chose the three closest dates, ignoring nine other “Important Dates” listed in the email. The lack of thoroughness could mean missed details if you rely solely on her summaries.
Shopping & deal tracking: half-baked
Alexa+ can now track Amazon product prices. While she set up deal trackers for items like skincare serum and a Coach handbag, she failed to:
- Tell me current prices on request.
- Accurately report stock status for all color options (missing the “temporarily out of stock” blue bag entirely).
Early verdict: a work in progress
Alexa+ shows glimpses of real AI utility — from summarizing emails to integrating with calendars — but execution is uneven. She sometimes misses obvious information, mishears requests, or fails to follow through.
For a product aiming to bring agentic AI into the home, even basic reliability will be critical. As it stands, Alexa+ still feels like a beta, with the potential to grow into something much more capable in future updates.
