Amazon brings Alexa+ to the UK

Amazon has officially launched its advanced AI-driven conversational assistant, Alexa+, in the United Kingdom, marking its first introduction outside North America. The tech giant is offering UK users the chance to experience Alexa+ at no cost through an early access program. Customers who purchase the latest Amazon Echo device will receive invitations to participate, with plans to expand access to “hundreds of thousands” more users soon. Once the early access phase concludes, Prime members will enjoy free access to Alexa+, while non-Prime subscribers will be charged a monthly fee of £19.99. The exact date for the end of the early access program has yet to be announced. Alexa+ is designed to work seamlessly with Amazon’s new Echo devices, Fire TV, and the Alexa app, allowing for continuity in conversations across devices. Additionally, the company intends to roll out support for Alexa+ on web browsers as well. Amazon has tailored Alexa+ specifically for the UK market, enabling it to grasp local contexts and popular phrases. According to a blog post from Amazon, teams of engineers, linguists, and speech scientists at the Cambridge Tech Hub employed various methods—such as reinforcement learning and accent-neutral speech representations—to ensure that Alexa+ effectively understands British users. Users can utilize the assistant for recommendations from services including OpenTable, JustEat, and Treatwell, and stay updated with news from outlets like The Independent, The Guardian, Press Association, and Future Publishing. Initially revealed in February 2025, the rollout of Alexa+ has been gradual, with only one million users in the U.S. granted access by June. Last month, the assistant became available to all users in the U.S., following earlier access programs in Canada and Mexico. Recently, Amazon also introduced new “personality” options for Alexa+, allowing users to customize response tones. Additionally, a new adult-only “Sassy” mode was launched, although the assistant will not support NSFW content.