Calvin Wankhede / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Perplexity is in early talks with Samsung to become an AI assistant option on Galaxy smartphones.
- The startup has reportedly secured a similar deal with Motorola.
- Despite Samsung’s close ties with Google, Perplexity could offer Galaxy users a smarter alternative to Gemini.
Perplexity is one of the most up-and-coming AI assistants, rivaling the likes of Google Gemini and ChatGPT. When we put the Perplexity Assistant to the test, we were greatly impressed by its performance. Android Authority‘s Calvin Wankhade even remarked that it made Gemini look bad in comparison. Now, we’re hearing that Perplexity is in early talks with Samsung to secure a coveted spot on its smartphones, a position currently enjoyed by Gemini, and, to a lesser extent, Bixby.
According to Bloomberg, Perplexity has already inked a deal with Motorola to integrate its assistant into the company’s smartphones as an alternative to Gemini. Talks with Samsung are reportedly still in the early stages, but the deal could involve giving users the option to set Perplexity as the default AI assistant or having the app preloaded on Samsung devices.
If it goes through, this would be a huge win for Perplexity. Samsung is the world’s top smartphone maker, and being featured on its phones would be a massive boost for Perplexity’s visibility and brand value.
Samsung and Google’s tight partnership could prove challenging for Perplexity.
All said and done, Samsung and Google have a very tight partnership, which could prove challenging for Perplexity’s Samsung deal. The two companies have collaborated to bring some of the most buzzworthy AI features to phones, like Circle to Search. Google’s Gemini also powers several other AI features across Samsung’s devices. Moreover, Google and Samsung’s partnership extends way beyond smartphones, including platforms like Wear OS and the upcoming Android XR, which gives Google significant influence over which AI assistant Samsung might ultimately prioritize on its phones.
Still, Bloomberg points out that Samsung has been building a relationship with Perplexity for a while. Its investment arm, “NEXT,” has backed the startup since last year.
While neither company has commented publicly on a potential partnership, having Perplexity on Samsung phones would be a big win for users. It’s more adept than Gemini at understanding prompts and delivering real-time, relevant answers. Plus, it can multitask just as well as Gemini, making it a strong alternative to Google’s AI.
