People quickly grow tired of Alexa, report claims — and I'm not surprised

People apace grow tired of Alexa, report claims — and I'g non surprised

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Amazon's virtual assistant, Alexa, has a retention problem, according to a new report from Bloomberg.

The site claims to accept seen internal information and reports that express concern virtually user retention beyond core functionality, with one 2019 certificate observing that new users discover one-half the features they'll ever use within three hours of activation. More damningly, in some years, 15% to 25% of new Alexa inductees were not using the virtual assistant in the second week, the site adds.

It's important to note that Amazon responded to the written report past stating that the documents in question were either outdated or inaccurate. "The assertion that Alexa growth is slowing is not authentic," Amazon'due south Kinley Pearsall told Bloomberg. "The fact is that Alexa continues to abound—nosotros see increases in client usage, and Alexa is used in more households around the world than e'er before."

Nevertheless, as a long-fourth dimension Amazon Echo user who also knows others in the Alexa ecosystem, I think the criticism rings true. I'yard simply non sure how much information technology matters.

Alexa limitations

To set the scene a little, I have Echo devices in most rooms of my business firm, with a few unplugged and boxed away. That's not (just) down to poor planning on my part, but a consequence of the fact that I proceed reviewing new models when they emerge.

Anyway, the point is that I am very much plugged into the ecosystem, and love the core functionality that Alexa brings to my life. Setting timers, putting on soothing sleep sounds when insomnia strikes, playing music, reading audiobooks and turning off lights — these are all areas that Alexa excels in, and the last of these can't exist overstated given the distance from my bed to the nearest light switch. Not banging my knee on the bed frame is worth the price of admission alone. (Our expect at the best Alexa skills shows exactly what the digital banana can do for you.)

But it's undeniably true that Alexa can evidence underwhelming. This was obvious to me from the beginning time I showed my original Echo to guests: after I'd demonstrated the concept with a few exam questions, they'd excitedly ask their ain things. Only they wouldn't know the exact way to phrase things to arm-twist a useful response. You can only hear the words "Hmmm, I don't know that one" so many times before losing involvement.

But fifty-fifty if you lot are fluent in the specific syntax that Alexa understands, the results tin can still be a disappointment. Alexa ofttimes mishears or misinterprets. A case in point, my Alexa shopping list — a function I never use — has two things on it: "Tidy up" and "Domestic dog bosch" which isn't something I doubtable Amazon could help with. My to-do list, meanwhile, has two instructions: "five huxley cream" and "put the laundry low-cal on in America." Useful.

Amazon keeps trying to get me to try something new, with its weekly "new to Alexa" email, but I tin't say I've ever been tempted. Information technology'due south even started ill-carefully advertizement its other functions to users. "Well-nigh every day after I enquire quick things, I go, 'Past the mode, I can recommend birthday souvenir ideas and then yous can buy more things from Amazon! Wouldn't you lot love to hear that??'", complains ane Redditor, quoted past Bloomberg.

Alexa'south core strengths

Just ultimately, for me, none of this matters that much. The fact is that the Echo is one of the best smart speakers — a good quality, reasonably priced speaker that can play anything from the world of music just past me saying the words. 10-year-former me would exist diddled abroad by that, without me needing to demonstrate any other functionality in this implausible time-travel scenario.

The signal is that the core functionality is fine, and it doesn't thing if Alexa never gets whatsoever smarter or learns any new party tricks. For me, it's an integral role of my smart home and I'chiliad extremely happy with it — virtual warts and all.

Freelance contributor Alan has been writing about tech for over a decade, roofing phones, drones and everything in between. Previously Deputy Editor of tech site Alphr, his words are establish all over the spider web and in the occasional magazine too. When not weighing up the pros and cons of the latest smartwatch, you'll probably find him tackling his ever-growing games backlog. Or, more probable, playing Spelunky for the millionth fourth dimension.