Samsung Bixby gets Perplexity AI upgrade to rival Gemini with smarter, contextual answers

Samsung's supercharged Bixby with Perplexity AI gets an early preview

Chethan is a reporter at Android Police, focusing on the weekend news coverage for the site. He has covered tech for over a decade with multiple publications, including the likes of Times Internet, Guiding Tech, and Android Headlines, to name a few. Chethan's love for Android dates back to the days of the Samsung/Google Nexus S, with his first Android phone being the HTC Desire HD back in 2010. Away from work, he's on the lookout for live cricket streams or NBA highlights. He also enjoys the occasional hour or two of console/mobile gaming whenever time permits. The release of the Galaxy S25 earlier this year sparked uncertainty about Samsung's Bixby assistant. The speculation intensified as the phone continued to pick up Gemini upgrades, while Bixby lost a key feature from its toolkit. However, subsequent evidence indicated that Samsung may not nerf its in-house AI assistant after all. Separately, reports earlier this year mentioned a potential integration of the AI search engine Perplexity into Galaxy phones. Then, just over a month ago, we learned that Samsung intends to bring Perplexity's search smarts to Bixby, starting with the Galaxy S26 lineup. A fresh revelation over the weekend offers more evidence of this integration. Close A screenshot shared by user achultra on X has revealed what this Perplexity-powered Bixby will look like. As shown above, a revamped Bixby overlay appears for a weather-related query. This overlay provides detailed recommendations, such as suggesting the user carry a jacket, by tapping into Perplexity's search engine smarts. There's more to come, but we'll have to wait Updated Bixby overlay spotted in October This is only one part of the integration we're seeing here, though it goes without saying that Bixby's upgraded capabilities will be on full display during the Galaxy S26 release in February. SammyGuru notes that this functionality is currently restricted to Samsung Bixby version 4.0.50.4 and requires devices running One UI 8.5, which is currently available in beta exclusively for the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Samsung already offers Perplexity's AI search engine on its TVs, and it seems like the One UI 8.5 beta also unlocked this capability on Galaxy phones. This should pave the way for richer, more up-to-date results from Bixby on your Galaxy smartphone, while also enhancing the assistant's ability to answer more complex questions. It is expected that Galaxy S26 owners will get a first taste of this integration outside the One UI 8.5 beta testers. Only then will this integration be rolled out to older Galaxy devices (including the Galaxy S25), alongside the One UI 8.5 update. Get the newsletter for Samsung Bixby insights Subscribe to the newsletter for concise, expert coverage of Samsung's Bixby and AI integrations, software changes, and product evolution -- clear analysis and context that help you understand what matters next in these developments. Subscribe Get the newsletter for Samsung Bixby insights Subscribe to the newsletter for concise, expert coverage of Samsung's Bixby and AI integrations, software changes, and product evolution -- clear analysis and context that help you understand what matters next in these developments. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. In addition to this inclusion, the Bixby pop-up is also prepping a visual upgrade, in line with current design guidelines. Of course, One UI 8.5 is not just about the visuals and Bixby upgrades, as it is also expected to introduce additional features and fixes to Galaxy devices, including in the camera department. Samsung has already confirmed that One UI 8.5 will debut with the Galaxy S26 and make its way to older devices shortly after. A detailed timeline, along with the list of eligible devices, may be provided during the Galaxy S26 launch event in February.

Bixby on Galaxy phones may soon rival Gemini with smarter answers

Samsung is testing a Perplexity-powered upgrade for its voice assistant. Google's Gemini may have sidelined Bixby on recent Galaxy smartphones, but Samsung hasn't given up on its voice assistant yet. Instead, the company appears to have partnered with Perplexity to level up Bixby's responses and offer users a more capable alternative to Gemini. We first caught wind of this partnership in July, when a report suggested that Samsung was exploring collaborations with companies like Perplexity and OpenAI to bring more AI features to Galaxy phones. At the time, a Samsung executive confirmed the company's plans but did not share details on how such partnerships would benefit end users. Recommended Videos However, a more recent leak suggested that Samsung planned to bring Perplexity's capabilities to Bixby with the Galaxy S26 series, helping it answer more complex queries. While the company has yet to make anything official, it has reportedly started testing the integration in the latest One UI 8.5 beta for the Galaxy S25 series. According to recent posts from X user Ach, Samsung has given Bixby a visual overhaul in One UI 8.5 and the voice assistant can now rely on Perplexity's smarts to answer complicated questions. Screenshots showcasing the change clearly show Perplexity listed as the source at the bottom of Bixby responses. Bixby is gearing up for a comeback The Perplexity integration appears to be live for beta testers in Europe running version 4.0.50.4 of the Bixby app, but it's not widely available yet. Samsung is expected to debut the change alongside the Galaxy S26 series early next year, and it will likely reach older devices with the One UI 8.5 update. If the integration rolls out as expected, it could mark a meaningful comeback for Bixby after years of playing second fiddle to Google Assistant and Gemini on Galaxy smartphones. Tapping into Perplexity's AI models would allow Samsung to keep Bixby relevant on its devices, while giving users another capable alternative to Gemini.

Samsung Might Have Silently Integrated Perplexity With Bixby Assistant

* Samsung appears to be testing this in Galaxy S25 handsets * The feature is said to be part of the One UI 8.5 beta update * Samsung has also released a Perplexity app for its smart TVs Samsung might have silently integrated Perplexity's artificial intelligence (AI) platform with its Bixby assistant. Several users posted on social media platforms that when asking the voice assistant a complex query, it now refers the question to Perplexity's answer engine, and shows a small icon of the brand at the bottom. This new capability is said to have been spotted within Galaxy S25 series smartphones with the One UI 8.5 beta update. This is interesting, given that an older report claimed that the integration would be rolled out with the Samsung Galaxy S26 series next year. Samsung Pairs Up Bixby and Perplexity to Tackle Complex Queries In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), user @achultra (first spotted by SamMobile) shared a screenshot saying, "Now Bixby can ask Perplexity to answer complicated questions." In the screenshot, the Perplexity icon is visible at the bottom, followed by "sources," indicating users can also check the sources from the web used for generating the response. However, it does not seem that the capability is rolling out to all users at present. The same user highlighted that the capability was spotted while using a Samsung Galaxy S25 phone with the One UI 8.5 beta OS. Last month, a report had claimed that the South Korean tech giant was planning to release the feature with the Galaxy S26 series, and since the global stable version of One UI 8.5 is rumoured to be released with the new smartphones, the company is likely testing the integration ahead of release. It is not possible to say how deep Bixby's integration with Perplexity runs. The tipped capability is similar to how Apple's Siri uses ChatGPT to answer more complex questions. But whether Bixby users will be able to tap into more advanced features, such as Deep research, Labs, or choosing the model, is not clear. It is also not known if those with a Pro or Max subscription will be able to link their accounts. The Samsung-Perplexity partnership has been in the news since the first half of the year. Several reports have previously claimed that the two companies were looking to enter a multi-faceted deal where the AI startup would be integrated into Samsung's voice assistant in some capacity. Notably, in October, Samsung also introduced a standalone Perplexity app for its smart TVs.