G’day, Alexa+: Amazon's AI-upgraded smart home assistant has finally arrived in Australia — and it's fully fluent in 'Strayan
After launching in the US last year, Alexa+ aims to be “smarter, more conversational and more capable” than ever — but at AU$29.99 per month (without Prime), is another agentic AI assistant worth it?
Amazon's latest innovation, Alexa+, has officially landed in Australia, marking a significant leap for its voice assistant. This upgraded AI-powered assistant, which debuted in the US over a year ago, now offers a more conversational and transactional experience that can remember user preferences and automatically adjust smart home devices based on context.
For those who already own compatible Echo or Fire TV devices, early access to Alexa+ can be requested now. Upon launch, Alexa+ will continue to be a free benefit for Amazon Prime members after its debut in November 2026, while non-members will have to pay an additional AU$29.99 per month. However, Alexa+ isn't the only 'smart' voice assistant in Australia, with Google Home Premium being its primary competitor.
While Amazon claims that Australians interact with Alexa more than two billion times annually, with 77 million questions asked and over 600 million smart home actions in 2025, the question remains whether this heightened investment in an AI assistant is justified. Despite its improvements in understanding colloquialisms and Australian culture, some users have expressed dissatisfaction with the new assistant, citing issues like ads, altered voices, and a preference for sticking with other LLMs such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude.
As Alexa+ prepares to enter the Australian market, it faces the challenge of proving its worth amid a competitive landscape.
Written by urgent.news from TechRadar's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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