Feb 26, 2026
3 min read
The disruptive artificial intelligence and designs in the devices of the largest mobile manufacturer bring the company into a brighter light.
There were plenty of AI references at today's Galaxy Unpacked event.But Samsung is not alone;almost every major smartphone launch in recent years has included new AI features or partnerships with AI companies.
Samsung is rolling out the latest version of Galaxy AI, which debuted with the Galaxy S26 phones.This follows news over the weekend that the company plans to integrate the Perplexity AI agent — and even support "Hey Plex" signals — into its new phones.But it looks like the partnership does more than just give Samsung users another AI option.
From the end of 2023, phone manufacturers are trying to add AI productivity features and integrate AI agents.Almost all new Android phones support Google's Gemini Assistant.Apple's iPhones integrate OpenAI ChatGPT into the phone's visual intelligence capabilities, and its Siri update will include Google's Gemini AI modules.
While Perplexity has partnered with phone makers like Motorola to preload its apps — and integrated into devices for Deutsche Telekom — having its AI and models built directly into the world's biggest manufacturer's phones takes the company to scale.It marks a shift to AI agents that people choose to use as more of a tool, like a phone app.
"The first step toward a mobile agency ecosystem is for the user to choose the agent they want," Dmitry Savelenko, CEO of Perplexity, told CNET."I think this is where Samsung takes a big, big leap."
Perplexity's Sonar API power different parts of Samsung's Galaxy AI ecosystemShevelenko It is said that the company's engineers are working together with Samsung's team to improve the Bixby assistant at the processing level. To give deep access to the system, he said that this is the first time that a third AI company has achieved compatibility with the main mobile operating system.The Galaxy S26 phone announced by Samsung supports the new "Hey Plex" text message, adding complexity to Google's Gemini AI assistant, which is installed on Android and Samsung devices.
"The only thing that the only other company has is Google, right?"Shevelenko said."It's a true paradigm for Samsung to go in a multi-AI direction, where they give their users a choice. And I think we see this as a strategic differentiator."
Samsung's inclusion of Perplexity will affect many of its applications, including Calendar, Clock, Gallery, Notes, and Reminders.The benefit of embedding Perplexity AI deeply into Samsung's software is that it will make it easier for people to interact with their phones.Instead of unlocking your device, going to the home page, opening an app, and typing in your query, you can simply press a button like "Hey Plex" and start searching within seconds.
But Perplexity's integration isn't limited to Bixby.Samsung's aptly named Internet browser also includes a browser that uses Perplexity's Comet technology, Shevelenko said.
Such a big moment for Perplexity naturally draws parallels with its partnership with Apple and OpenAI, which has partnered with former Apple designer Jony Ive on its own hardware efforts.When I asked Shevelenko about the possibility of Peplexity making its own phones or hardware, he said "no."
“We are focused on partnering with the best OEMs,” he said.
And while we wait for the announcement of new Samsung phones, it will be interesting to see how Galaxy phone owners use the phone's AI agents.Soon, people will be able to tell their Samsung devices to call Gemini or initiate a "Hey Plex" query with Perplexity.And choice is usually a good thing.
Samsung did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
