Alexa Plus Leaves Behind Amazon’s Earliest Echo Devices

Amazon is bringing nan caller AI-powered Alexa Plus to a wide scope of its existing Echo devices — but nan upgrade will skip galore of nan earliest models. The mostly of nan company’s first-generation Echos won’t get support, according to nan Alexa Plus FAQ page, though Amazon says they will proceed to activity pinch nan modular Alexa.

Alexa Plus won’t support “certain older procreation Echo devices,” specified arsenic nan first-generation Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Plus, Echo Tap, Echo Spot, and Echo Show; nan second-generation Echo Show won’t support it, either. Amazon spokesperson Kristy Schmidt confirmed that is nan afloat database of devices. If so, that still leaves galore early Echo devices that will activity pinch Alexa Plus.

That intends I’ll beryllium tin to inquire Alexa to book a edifice preservation done my Echo Flex, nan quirky modular Echo speaker that plugs consecutive into a wall outlet. And group tin still get an AI-generated opus piped done speakers they’ve connected their microphone-only Echo Inputs to. And if you personification an ancient first- or- second-gen Echo Show 15 aliases newer Echo Hub, those will apparently get entree to nan AI-enhanced Alexa, too. Schmidt confirmed that each of those will beryllium compatible.

Perhaps it’s a bummer that immoderate of those different older Echo devices won’t usage AI to book reservations, measurement summons prices, aliases make clone songs for you. But astatine slightest they’ll still beryllium tin to do nan aged Alexa stuff, for illustration move connected your lights aliases show you nan weather. And fixed rumors astir nan struggle Amazon has had getting Alexa Plus to activity right, that mightiness beryllium a bully thing, astatine slightest for a while.