Samsung could invest in Perplexity AI to bring it to Galaxy S26, Bixby, Samsung Internet

After launching its first AI phones last year, Samsung brought deeper integration with Gemini in One UI 7.0 this year. However, the company might be planning to bring Perplexity AI to its devices as an alternative to Gemini, starting with the Galaxy S26 early next year.

Perplexity is an AI-powered digital assistant and web search engine. It rivals ChatGPT, Claude AI, and Gemini.

According to a report from Bloomberg, Samsung is nearing a deal to invest in Perplexity AI. If the deal materliazes, the South Korean firm could make an official announcement as early as this year. It could become one of Perplexity's biggest investors. The two firms have been discussing about a potential investment since early this year and they in South Korea recently.

Samsung could preload Perplexity on its future phones and make it the default AI assistant. This move could start with the Galaxy S26, which is expected to launch early next year. Moreover, the companies have reportedly discussed integrating Perplexity into Bixby and Samsung Internet. They also discussed building an ‘AI-infused operating system' and AI agents that can work with Perplexity and other AI assistants.

This move could help Samsung in reducing its reliance on Google's Gemini AI. The South Korean firm could choose a multi-AI providers route and work with multiple AI companies, similar to Apple. The iPhone make has brought ChatGPT to Siri and is reportedly planning to bring Gemini integration into its platforms as soon as this year.

The talks between Perplexity and Samsung haven't been finalized yet, so things could go either way. Perplexity is trying to raise $500 million in a new round of investment at a $14 billion valuation. It has already partnered with Motorola to offer AI services on Motorola's recent phones.

During the Google antitrust trial, Eddy Cue, senior vice president of Apple's Services division, said Apple has been pretty impressed with Perplexity's performance. Apple already had some discussions with Perplexity to bring it as an alternative to Google Search and ChatGPT in Siri.