For those of us who “come from a land Down Under”, stringing together a sentence about eskies, barbies and servos comes naturally. But, for a voice assistant built largely on American English, getting accurate answers to your questions can be hard yakka.
However, Amazon reckons she’ll be right with the new Alexa+ – launching in Australia today, and promising to be smarter, naturaler, and – crucially – more fluent in Australianisms.
Truth be told, the old Alexa was lovely. But she was basically a tourist in a Tommy Bahama print shirt.
Ask her to grab your thongs on the way out the door and – given that Aussies know these as the rubber sandals on your feet (unlike almost everywhere else in the world, where they mean rather less material, worn rather higher up) – she might have had some very awkward assumptions to make.
So, would Alexa+ know the difference? Apparently, yes.
Alexa+ Speaks Fluent Strayan Now
Alexa+ has had a proper cultural overhaul. The soothing voice so many of us have come to know and love now understands local colloquialisms like arvo, snags and servo. And can follow the complex rambling questions quirky roommates specialise in. Even if they have an Australian accent.
At the Sydney launch event, Alexa Country Manager for Australia Kate Gooden put the new assistant through its paces, asking it to settle the age-old Sydney-versus-Melbourne rivalry.
Alexa+ wisely refused to pick sides, instead declaring diplomatically: “you’re both cooler than Adelaide.” Sorry, Adelaide – she said it, not us. No word yet on whether Adelaide plans to spit the dummy over the diss.
Kate also explained exactly why the upgrade matters in practice: “I don’t have to phrase things in a specific way to get something done.” You can talk in half-sentences, backtrack mid-thought, and Alexa+ will still keep up – which, frankly, is more than we can say for some humans in our group chat, particularly the resident bludger who somehow still can’t work out how to set a shared calendar invite.
And the cultural fluency reportedly runs deep. Alexa+ knows what a “servo” and a “bottlo” are, that Bunnings does a great weekend snag, and that the Roosters would never line up against the Magpies (wrong code, mate – she knows her league from her union).
She’s also apparently across the unwritten rules of Australian life: never rock up to a barbie empty-handed, always wave to say thanks when someone lets you merge, and shouting your round of coffees is basically law. Turn up to that barbie as a certified bludger with nothing but your appetite, and we reckon Alexa+ will clock you for it.
Which raises the one debate we’re still waiting on Alexa+ to weigh in on. Australia has no shortage of proud regional rivalries when it comes to naming a deep-fried, battered potato: Melburnians will call it a “potato cake,” while a Sydneysider will die on the hill of “potato scallop.” Amazon still hasn’t revealed Alexa+’s stance in the great potato debate. For now, that answer remains TBC – and it may well be the most Australian question she’ll ever answer. Get it wrong in front of the wrong crowd and someone’s bound to spit the dummy.
Less Chinwag, More Action
Cheek aside, Alexa+ is genuinely trying to take over your mental load. Some of the headline features:
- Real-world bookings: at the launch demo, Kate simply asked Alexa+ to find Sunday lunch for five at her local pub, and within seconds it had checked OpenTable, found a table, booked it, and popped it on the calendar. As Kate put it afterwards: “it must be good to have Alexa to get stuff done for you even during this presentation.”
- Proactive home control: Alexa+ can cool the house before you’re home from work, shut the blinds when it’s stinking hot, or get the coffee machine going as your day starts – Amazon calls this “ambient AI,” tech that fades into the background until you actually need it.
- Shopping sidekick: running low on dishwashing liquid? Alexa+ checks price and availability and confirms before ordering. She’ll also compare blenders, summarise reviews, and flag price drops – basically the opposite of a bludger.
- The outfit check: : stand in front of your Echo Show and Alexa+ will actually weigh in on what you’re wearing, using the display’s camera to judge appropriateness on the spot. So yes, she genuinely can tell you if the sunnies-and-trackies combo is effortlessly cool or certifiably drongo.
- Smarter smart home: just say “it’s dark” and the lights come on, no app required. She’ll even follow your music through the house. Start it in the kitchen, say “move the music here” in the lounge, and she’ll take care of the rest.
- Ring integration: ask “did any packages get delivered today?” and Alexa+ will check your Ring camera footage and tell you if a parcel’s landed on the porch. Handy if you’re home “sick” and don’t want the delivery driver dobbing you in.
- Genuine personalisation: she remembers your housemate’s vegetarian, that your kid’s currently off capsicum, and – crucially – that you like Rufus in the arvo playlist.
- Cross-device continuity: start researching dinner recipes on the Echo Show in the kitchen, keep going on your phone on the train into the city, and Alexa+ picks up exactly where you left off.
- Privacy controls baked in: the Alexa Privacy dashboard lets you review what Alexa heard, manage stored recordings, and there’s still a visual indicator whenever she’s listening – so no need to spit the dummy over what she may or may not have overheard.
What’s the damage?
Early Access to Alexa+ is free for everyone who gets in, rolling out from 6 August. After that, Alexa+ will be free for Amazon Prime members in Australia, sitting alongside perks like fast shipping and Prime Video. If you’re not a Prime member, it’ll set you back AU$29.99 a month. You can register interest at Amazon.com.au/newalexa, or fast-track your way in by grabbing an eligible Echo device – the Echo Show 8, Echo Show 11, Echo Dot Max and Echo Studio are purpose-built for the new experience.
So yes, your smart speaker now has a personality, a sense of humour, and very strong feelings about the place to get a local latte.
Whether Alexa+ will ever settle the potato cake-versus-potato scallop debate is anyone’s guess. But given she already knows her servo from her bottlo, we wouldn’t put it past her to have an opinion.
Just don’t be surprised if she works out you’re chucking a sickie to stay home and play with her instead…
