If you wondered where the Amazon devices were during Amazon's devices launch...

Amazon unveiled an AI-enhanced version of Alexa this week, succinctly called Alexa+, but one thing that was surprisingly absent from the "devices" event was the mention of any new hardware.

New information suggests you’re going to have to wait a little longer for that.

Alexa+ will appear on recent Echo Show devices initially, before becoming more widely available, but one thing I noticed at the launch event was that it was exclusively shown on the Echo Show 21 – the company’s latest model. If you’re waiting for new hardware, then you’ll have to wait a little longer.

Talking to Bloomberg (via The Verge), Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said: “Brand new devices are coming in the fall that are beautiful.”

That sounds like Amazon is going to use its traditional September slot to launch new models in its tech lineup, something it has done for a number of years.

The oldest Echo devices in the current range include the regular Echo – launched in 2020 – as well as the Echo Show 10. The emphasis seems to be on screened devices however, with Alexa+ offering new animations and the more enhanced interaction throwing up touch points on the screen as you talk.

Amazon’s most recent devices are the Echo Show 21 and new Echo Spot, but the company has already confirmed that Alexa+ will work across a wide range of hardware – it’s only the very oldest devices that aren’t supported.

So far there’s been no hint at what new hardware will come, but we’re sure that we’ll start to see some leaks as we get closer to any launch event.

What can Alexa+ do?

Amazon’s AI-enhanced version of Alexa offers much more conversational interaction, allowing for more free-flowing conversation. Alexa+ can understand what you’re asking and interpret that, so when talking to Alexa you don’t need to use robotic language as you did before.

For example, on the current Alexa if you want to control a smart home device, you’ll have to use the correct name for that device, but Alexa+ will be able to figure out what you want to do from wider terms. This will help people in your house who might not know exactly what you called something when you set it up.

Alexa+ has been designed to get things done and will be able to act as an agent for you with many online services, able to carry out complicated tasks like finding and making reservations for you, booking an Uber and sending messages to friends, all from one conversation that you have.

Beyond that, you’ll be able to share documents with Alexa+ so it can digest the information and return it on request, adding dates to calendars and more. Alexa+ will initially be available in the US, but we’re expecting to see it in other regions before the end of the year.

I suspect that Amazon will have a September event and that we’ll see confirmation of the wider roll-out at that time.