Alexa Plus is coming to almost every Echo — but your favorite skill might not make the cut

The new souped-up Alexa voice assistant, Alexa Plus, is scheduled to arrive in the next few weeks in an early access preview. The good news is that as long as you have (or buy) an Echo Show 8, 10, 15, or 21 smart display, you’ll be able to use the generative-AI powered Alexa across any compatible Echo device you own. It will also work on Fire TV devices, Fire tablets, on the web at Alexa.com, and in the Alexa app. Sadly, a few Echo devices will be left out of the party. Several early models, including the first-gen Echo Dot, Echo, and Echo Show, aren’t getting the upgrade. Similarly, it won’t work on devices with built-in Alexa, such as Sonos speakers or the Ecobee smart thermostat at launch, but it could come to those in the future. Amazon spokesperson Lauren Raemhild tells The Verge that you can still use the original Alexa on these devices. If you want to stick with the original digital voice assistant, that’s still an option — for now Alexa Plus’s initial rollout will be limited ... Read full article.