Amazon plans to roll out a new subscription service for Alexa, possibly charging between £3.99 and £7.99 a month. But do you even need it?
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Alexa is introducing advanced AI to its voice devices.
You may think Alexa already uses AI, but this changes things up and upgrades what the devices can do -all at a cost.
It’s apparently known as “Remarkable Alexa”, although I’m not sure that name will stick.
What is Remarkable Alexa?
With the AI Alexa, things will be more conversational instead of asking a question, getting an answer, and then starting over again with the Alexa prompt.
This means you can have more natural and flowing conversations.
It will remember the context of what was said to make talking with you smoother and easier. So, if you ask a follow-up question, it will know what you’re talking about without needing to give in any more information.
For example, you could ask Alexa about the weather where you live and then ask about a different location without repeating the wake word every time.
I used timers every day when cooking.
I currently say: “Alexa, set a 30-minute timer and call it potatoes”, and then say, “Alexa, set a 10-minute timer and call it vegetables.”
With the AI, I’d just say, “Alexa, set a 30-minute timer called potatoes…add another for 10 minutes for the veg…oh and also tell me if it will rain tomorrow.”
It speeds up the commands and remembers what it was doing.
New skills and services will likely pop up, which can help with tasks like scheduling, reminders, and supporting other smart devices in your home.
How much will it cost?
While the exact pricing is not yet confirmed, reports suggest it could range from £3.99 to £7.99 a month.
It looks like you won’t need to have Prime, but you can have the AI subscription separately.
This is around the same as other premium services Amazon offers, such as Amazon Music Unlimited, which starts at £3.99 per month for Echo devices.
In the US, it’s reported to be around $5 – $10 per month and could launch in August 2024.
Do I have to sign up?
If you’re already using Alexa Echo, you can continue using it at no extra cost.
Getting a subscription to the extra features is optional.
Is it worth it?
The value of anything depends on whether you need it, will use it, and have a budget for it.
Everyone will be different.
Maybe you like the idea of having a full blow chat with Alexa, instead of one liners?
Personally, I’d like a free trial to see if it’s any good and, secondly, if it’s any better than how I currently use the device.
I’m not holding my breath; they’ll have any freebies for it, but I’ll share them if it happens!
Naomi knows the burden of living on very little and became debt free by following her own money saving tips and tricks. She is an expert on saving money at the supermarket and side hustles.
