Amazon is poised to release a significant update that will notably enhance its devices, including the popular Fire TV Stick. This upgrade is driven by the launch of Alexa+, the next evolution of Amazon’s voice assistant, promising a more intuitive and capable experience.
Alexa+ is scheduled to debut in the US next month, followed by launches in other regions like the UK later in the year. During Amazon’s recent launch event, the company showcased Alexa+’s advanced capabilities, demonstrating how it can engage in more natural conversational interactions, manage family calendars, automate lighting routines for vacation periods, and even retrieve video clips from connected Ring cameras in response to simple voice commands.
One of the most compelling demonstrations highlighted the improvements Alexa+ will bring to the Fire TV Stick. The AI upgrade will empower users to, for example, hear a song from a movie via Prime Music and then directly ask Alexa to display that exact scene on their TV through Prime Video.
Reviewers have noted that this feature works remarkably well, instantly launching the appropriate app, finding the correct film, and navigating to the specified moment within seconds. As Amazon explained, users can now “Ask Alexa+ to jump to a specific scene in a movie on Prime Video without having to fast-forward just by using details like the actor or character’s name, or a quote. For example, just say “what’s that movie where Bradley Cooper sings a duet? Jump to that scene…” and it will play on your Fire TV.” This enhancement is designed to eliminate the frustrating process of searching for specific content and remembering where a favorite part of a movie appears.
However, while Alexa+ offers a wealth of new features, this update will come at a cost. In the US, users will need to pay $19.99 per month, or subscribe to a Prime account, to access Alexa+.
