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I was so excited when Amazon launched Alexa in Australia back in early 2018. It seemed like we were about to enter a brave new comic book world, where virtual assistants would let us engage with technology in an all new way.
The reality ended up being a little disappointing. But Alexa+ promises to deliver on that dream. And six months after it launched in the US, it is now available in Australia.
Alexa+ is Amazon's biggest overhaul of the assistant since it first hit Aussie Echo and smart devices.
Rather than the clunky "ask and do" routine we've all gotten used to, it's built on a platform that combines as many as 80 different large language models running through Amazon Bedrock. This means it can hold a proper conversation, remember your preferences, and get things done for you, not just tell you how to do them.
Booking a restaurant, building a shopping list, or juggling a calendar clash used to mean picking up your phone. Amazon says Alexa+ can now handle all of it by voice, while quietly learning things like your housemate's vegetarian diet or your kid's sudden hatred of capsicum.
Amazon Country Manager for Alexa in Australia, Kate Gooden, said the update goes well beyond a chatbot bolted onto the old assistant.
"This isn't just Alexa with generative AI plugged in. It's an all new architecture which connects hundreds of services and devices to deliver a smarter Alexa experience that personalises to your individual and household needs," Gooden said.
Perhaps the most impressive part of the launch is that it's not just a copy/paste job of the US version of Alexa+. Amazon has put a significant effort into localisation for Australia. Amazon's Australian engineers and speech scientists have tuned Alexa+ on regional slang, state rivalries, and footy chat, so it should understand more than just a flat Aussie accent.
Smart home control gets simpler as well. Saying "it's dark" turns the lights on, and you can build multi step voice routines without opening the Alexa app. It also plays nicely with existing gear, checking your Ring camera footage to confirm whether a parcel actually got delivered.
Privacy controls carry over too, with the Alexa Privacy dashboard letting you review recordings, plus the usual camera shutters and listening indicators on compatible devices, including BTTR favourite the Amazon Echo Hub.
Alexa+ will follow you around the house too. Ask for music in the kitchen, then tell it to move to the living room, and it will.
Later this year, Alexa.com.au will also bring the assistant to your browser, so a recipe search started on your Echo Show can continue on your laptop.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Price for Prime members | Free (also free during Early Access for eligible customers) |
| Price for non-Prime members | $29.99/month |
| Australian rollout | Early Access begins 6 August 2026 |
| Underlying tech | Large language models via Amazon Bedrock |
| Purpose built devices | Echo Show 8, Echo Show 11, Echo Dot Max, Echo Studio |
| Existing device support | More than 98% of Alexa devices already in Australian homes |
| Key integrations | OpenTable, Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, Ring, Prime Video, Audible, ABC, AAP, Reuters, The Guardian |
| Coming soon | Alexa.com.au browser access, Tripadvisor trip planning |
Pricing and availability
In a somewhat surprising move, Amazon has made Alexa+ free for Prime members in Australia, with non-Prime members able to access it for $29.99 a month. During Early Access, it's free for eligible customers regardless of Prime status.
The rollout begins from 6 August 2026, with two ways in: buy an eligible Echo device and opt in immediately, or register your interest at Amazon.com.au/newalexa to be invited over the coming weeks.
While more than 98% of Alexa devices already in Australian homes support Alexa+, Amazon says the Echo Show 8, Echo Show 11, Echo Dot Max, and Echo Studio are purpose built for the new experience, with extra processing power and next generation sensors on board.
I've been given access to the new virtual assistant, so I'll be testing it out over the coming weeks. I'm excited to see whether it actually delivers as a digital assistant.
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