Perplexity AI, the San Francisco-based startup, now aims to establish a larger presence on mobile devices. The AI upstart has already finalized a partnership with Lenovo’s Motorola and is currently engaged in preliminary talks with Samsung Electronics to potentially embed its AI assistant on the tech giant’s phones, reports Bloomberg.
Perplexity’s agreement with Motorola is expected to be made public during a product event scheduled in New York City on April 24. As part of the arrangement, Motorola will pre-install the Perplexity AI assistant on select models, offering it as an alternative to Google’s Gemini, the default AI service on many Android phones. The partnership includes a customized user interface optimized for Motorola’s Razr foldable phones, taking advantage of the device’s unique screen configuration to boost the assistant’s functionality. This comes at a time when Motorola, while holding a relatively small share in the global smartphone market, has been actively seeking innovation to bolster its product appeal. And pre-installing an alternative AI assistant like Perplexity is likely to make its devices more appealing to users seeking options beyond the default Google services.
While the Motorola deal is near its official announcement, talks with Samsung are still in their early stages. Potential outcomes under discussion include making Perplexity a default AI assistant, preloading the app on devices, or promoting it prominently within Samsung’s Galaxy Store. Such integration would be beneficial for Perplexity, considering Samsung’s vast global footprint, which accounts for about 20% of smartphone shipments according to IDC, allowing the AI firm a massive expansion in its user base. Pre-installation on Motorola devices and potential integration into Samsung’s ecosystem (default assistant, preloaded app, or Galaxy Store promotion) would put its AI assistant directly in the hands of millions of users. Furthermore, the increased usage on mobile devices will provide Perplexity with valuable data to further train and improve its AI models and user experience, amongst other things.
However, any agreement with Samsung would need to be carefully negotiated given the South Korean manufacturer’s deep-rooted relationship with Google. Google provides the core search engine infrastructure for Samsung’s devices and powers many of their AI capabilities. Still, Samsung’s investment arm, NEXT, has already backed Perplexity financially, and further investment is reportedly under consideration.
Perplexity, founded three years ago, has made a name for itself in the AI landscape. It has rapidly gained attention for its AI assistant, which functions similarly to a search engine but incorporates real-time results and an intuitive question-and-answer interface. Unlike traditional assistants, it can draw on external models from providers like OpenAI and Anthropic, enabling it to deliver research-oriented responses. The firm, a few months ago, announced a collaboration with Deutsche Telekom AG in Europe, where it will power the AI features in an upcoming smartphone branded as an “AI Phone.”
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