Perplexity Launches Comet AI Browser on Android, Intensifying Mobile AI Browser Competition

Reviewed byNidhi Govil

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Perplexity has released its AI-powered Comet browser on Android, marking a significant expansion into mobile browsing with features like voice mode, tab summarization, and built-in ad blocking. The launch represents the first major AI-centric browser to reach mobile platforms.

Perplexity Expands AI Browser to Mobile Platform

Perplexity has officially launched its AI-powered Comet browser on Android, marking a significant milestone in the company's mission to revolutionize web browsing through artificial intelligence

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. The mobile release represents the first major AI-centric browser to reach smartphones, bringing sophisticated AI capabilities that were previously limited to desktop users.

Source: TechCrunch

Source: TechCrunch

The Android version maintains most of the desktop browser's core functionality, allowing users to set Perplexity as their default search engine and interact with tabs through natural language queries

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. Users can leverage voice mode to ask questions about all open tabs simultaneously, while the assistant provides comprehensive summaries across multiple browsing sessions.

Enhanced Mobile Experience and Features

Comet's Android implementation goes beyond a simple port of the desktop version. Perplexity specifically redesigned the mobile experience, acknowledging that "we didn't want to just force a desktop experience onto mobile"

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. The mobile browser includes several unique features tailored for smartphone usage.

Source: Geeky Gadgets

Source: Geeky Gadgets

The app incorporates a built-in ad blocker, addressing one of mobile browsing's most persistent frustrations

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. Additionally, the browser can research and shop on users' behalf, with transparency features that allow users to monitor the assistant's actions in real-time.

One standout capability is the cross-tab functionality, where users can mention specific tabs to ask targeted questions to the AI assistant

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. This feature addresses the common mobile browsing challenge of managing multiple information sources simultaneously.

Real-World Performance and User Experience

Early testing reveals both the potential and limitations of AI-powered mobile browsing. One reviewer's experience with shopping for aquarium equipment demonstrated the importance of specific queries, as initial broad requests for "RO/DI units" yielded incorrect results until refined to "RO/DI units for aquariums"

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. However, once properly directed, the browser successfully identified relevant products and could compare prices across multiple vendors.

Source: Phandroid

Source: Phandroid

Music streaming integration showed mixed results, with initial Spotify connection attempts failing due to authentication issues

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. However, the browser eventually succeeded in opening appropriate playlists, demonstrating the iterative problem-solving approach of AI-powered browsing.

Strategic Market Positioning and Future Development

The Android launch represents a calculated strategic move in Perplexity's broader competition with established browsers like Chrome and Safari. Android's more open ecosystem, compared to iOS, provides advantages for alternative browsers seeking market penetration

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. Android users can more easily change default browsers through the system's "default apps" control panel, potentially facilitating Comet's adoption.

Perplexity plans to introduce additional features in the coming weeks, including a conversational agent capable of searching across multiple sites, quick action shortcuts, and a fully functional password manager

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. The company is also working on syncing browsing history and bookmarks between mobile and desktop versions.

Competitive Landscape and Industry Impact

Comet's mobile launch intensifies competition in the emerging AI browser market. While Google has integrated Gemini into Chrome and other companies like OpenAI and Opera have developed AI browsers, most remain desktop-focused

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. The Browser Company's Arc Search represents one of the few mobile AI browsing attempts, though it hasn't received significant updates recently.

The timing coincides with increased industry investment in AI browsing technology. Atlassian's recent $610 million acquisition of The Browser Company signals growing corporate interest in agentic browsing platforms

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. These developments suggest that AI-powered browsing may fundamentally reshape how users interact with web content, moving beyond traditional link navigation toward conversational information discovery.

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