Amazon has officially launched Alexa+, an upgraded version of its voice assistant, fulfilling its commitment to release the service by the end of March. However, the much-anticipated experience appears to be missing several advanced features that were demonstrated during a press event in February.
According to a report by The Washington Post, Alexa+ currently lacks many of the “agentic” AI capabilities showcased in Amazon’s promotional materials. For instance, users are unable to order food via Grubhub or have the assistant generate creative bedtime stories for children—two features that were highlighted as key improvements. Additionally, Alexa+ is not yet capable of visually identifying individuals to provide personalized reminders for tasks or suggesting thoughtful gift ideas—both of which were part of the initial feature set presented at the press event.
Some functionalities, such as ordering an Uber or receiving AI-powered cooking recommendations, are being introduced in phases and are currently only available to a limited number of users. Meanwhile, a web-based app designed to enhance the Alexa+ experience remains without a confirmed release date, leaving many users wondering when they will be able to access it.
Reports indicate that Alexa+ has faced technical challenges since its development, with Amazon struggling to optimize the AI infrastructure supporting the new assistant. Based on the latest insights, it appears that the company is still working through these issues, making the full realization of Alexa+’s potential an ongoing process rather than an immediate upgrade.
