Credit: Samsung

Every smartphone maker is racing to find a way to put AI in your pocket, but no one has cracked the code yet. Samsung was an early supporter of Google's Gemini AI, which has largely supplanted its little-used Bixby assistant. However, a new report claims Samsung is planning a big AI shakeup by partnering with Perplexity on the Galaxy S26.

Perplexity pitches itself as an AI-powered search service, running on the same generative AI technology behind ChatGPT, Gemini, and all the others. However, it cites its sources around the web more prominently than a pure chatbot. 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. The company got its wish this year, though, with Perplexity finding a place on 2025 Razr phones.

A report from Bloomberg says Samsung will be the next to leverage Perplexity's AI. The companies are apparently close to signing a deal that will make this AI model a core part of the Galaxy S26 lineup. Motorola uses Perplexity for search functionality inside its Moto AI system, but the Samsung deal would be more comprehensive.

Under the terms of the supposed deal, Samsung would integrate Perplexity into its web browser and the Bixby assistant. However, the report also claims Perplexity could simply become the default assistant on the Galaxy S26. As we learned from Google's antitrust trial, most people never change the defaults, which could make this a big win for Perplexity.

According to Bloomberg, the deal is not done, though both sides have met in South Korea and agreed on the basic framework. The companies have also reportedly discussed building AI into operating systems and designing agentic systems that integrate with multiple AI providers.

Overdosing on mobile AI

Google is working overtime to push Gemini into every product and device possible. The company was caught flat-footed by the popularity of ChatGPT, which has emerged as perhaps the greatest threat to its search dominance since Bing fell flat.

Part of that effort is making sure new phones have the Gemini app as the default assistant. However, Google is under more scrutiny than ever as it struggles to get out from under three consecutive antitrust losses. The search case touches on the placement deals it makes with smartphone makers like Samsung, which have traditionally required exclusivity for certain Google products. Google even managed to get Samsung to make Gemini the default assistant on the Galaxy S25 series, demoting its Bixby system.

One of the few concessions Google agreed to make in the search case was to end its requirements for exclusivity in placement deals, and it appears that Google is already using a lighter touch. With Google giving its mobile partners a free hand, we expect to see much more AI on phones. For example, Motorola included AI features from Meta, Microsoft, Perplexity, and Google on the new Razr phones.

Adding too many AI features to phones can lead to weird conflicts, like we saw on the 2025 Razrs.
Credit: Ryan Whitwam

This kind of openness is great for competition, but it can lead to a cluttered experience for users. Having so many AI agents active on the Razrs didn't make them smarter; it just made them more confusing. Hopefully, Samsung can restrain the urge to overload the Galaxy S26 with redundant AI features, but don't get your hopes up.