However, a new report claims Samsung is planning a big AI shakeup by partnering with Perplexity on the Galaxy S26.
Perplexity made waves during the Google search antitrust trial when executive Dmitry Shevelenko testified that Google blocked Motorola from using Perplexity on its 2024 phones.
However, the report also claims Perplexity could simply become the default assistant on the Galaxy S26.
Google even managed to get Samsung to make Gemini the default assistant on the Galaxy S25 series, demoting its Bixby system.
Hopefully, Samsung can restrain the urge to overload the Galaxy S26 with redundant AI features, but don’t get your hopes up.
No one has yet figured out how to put artificial intelligence (AI) in your pocket, despite every smartphone manufacturer trying to do so. Samsung backed Google’s Gemini AI early on, and it has since largely replaced its underutilized Bixby assistant. However, according to a recent report, Samsung is collaborating with Perplexity on the Galaxy S26 in order to bring about a significant AI revolution.
Using the same generative AI technology as ChatGPT, Gemini, and all the others, Perplexity markets itself as an AI-powered search engine. It does, however, cite its sources more frequently than a chatbot would. When executive Dmitry Shevelenko testified that Google prohibited Motorola from utilizing Perplexity on its 2024 phones, Perplexity caused a stir during the Google search antitrust trial. The company did, however, get what it wanted this year when Perplexity was included in Razr phones for 2025.
According to a Bloomberg report, Samsung is the next company to use Perplexity’s AI. It appears that the companies are nearing an agreement that would integrate this AI model into the Galaxy S26 lineup. Within its Moto AI system, Motorola uses Perplexity for search functionality; however, the Samsung agreement would be more extensive.
The alleged agreement called for Samsung to incorporate Perplexity into both its web browser and the Bixby assistant. Perplexity might just end up being the Galaxy S26’s default assistant, according to the report. A significant victory for Perplexity could result from the fact that most people never alter the default settings, as we discovered during Google’s antitrust trial.
Although both parties met in South Korea and agreed on the fundamentals, Bloomberg claims that the deal is not yet finalized. According to reports, the companies have also talked about integrating AI into operating systems and creating agentic systems that work with various AI suppliers.
consuming too much mobile AI.
In an effort to incorporate Gemini into every product and gadget conceivable, Google is working extremely hard. Perhaps the biggest threat to the company’s search dominance since Bing’s demise was ChatGPT’s popularity, which caught it off guard.
This includes ensuring that the Gemini app is the default assistant on new phones. But as it tries to escape three straight antitrust rulings, Google is being scrutinized more than ever. The search case discusses the placement agreements it has with Samsung and other smartphone manufacturers, who have historically demanded exclusivity for specific Google products. Google even succeeded in persuading Samsung to deprecate its Bixby system and make Gemini the default assistant on the Galaxy S25 series.
Google ended its exclusivity requirements in placement deals, which was one of the few concessions it made in the search case. It seems that Google is already taking a more relaxed approach. We anticipate seeing a lot more AI on phones now that Google is granting its mobile partners more freedom. For instance, Motorola’s latest Razr phones featured AI features from Google, Microsoft, Perplexity, and Meta.
Competition benefits greatly from this kind of openness, but users may find it confusing. The Razrs were made more confusing rather than smarter by the large number of AI agents that were active on them. Don’t get too excited, though, as Samsung may be able to resist the temptation to overburden the Galaxy S26 with unnecessary AI features.
