Samsung is in talks with Perplexity to have the AI search startup’s app and AI assistant preloaded on devices manufactured by the South Korean giant. It has also discussed integrating Perplexity’s search features with the Samsung web browser as well as Bixby, its virtual assistant.
The deal enabling Perplexity-integrated Samsung devices is expected to be announced within this year, according to a report by Bloomberg. The Samsung Galaxy S26, which is slated to be launched in the first half of 2026, will also reportedly include Perplexity as an option to be the default AI assistant on the high-end smartphone.
With this partnership, Samsung appears to be taking a leaf out of Apple’s book and working with a mix of AI developers in order to reduce its dependence on Google. Perplexity, meanwhile, is well-positioned to scale its mobile partnerships such as the recent integration deal with Motorola.
Samsung and Perplexity have also reportedly talked about developing an AI-powered operating system as well as AI agents. Beyond on-device AI capabilities, Samsung is further expected to invest in Perplexity as part of a new funding round, with the Jeff Bezos-backed startup reportedly aiming to raise $500 million at a $14 billion valuation.
The purported deal comes months after it was revealed that Google pays Samsung an ‘enormous sum’ of money for default placement of its Gemini AI assistant. The details emerged during the Google search antitrust remedies case, where a US federal court heard arguments about what are the potential penalties owed by Google for having an illegal monopoly of the online search market.
A US Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyer had also said that Google shares Gemini subscription revenue with Samsung as part of the deal.
Apple has previously expressed interest in working with Perplexity too. “We’ve been pretty impressed with what Perplexity has done, so we’ve started some discussions with them about what they’re doing,” Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services, said in his testimony at the Google search antitrust remedies trial.
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The iPhone-maker has already announced that its Siri voice assistant will be integrated with OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
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