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Samsung is reportedly preparing a major overhaul of its voice assistant Bixby by integrating Perplexity AI, according to recent leaks tied to the upcoming Galaxy S26. Rather than replacing Bixby outright, the company would reshape it so the assistant handles simple device tasks while offloading complex queries to Perplexity’s models.
Why Perplexity — and what this means for Bixby
Leaked details from a credible source on social media suggest Samsung will announce the redesigned Bixby alongside the Galaxy S26. In the new setup, Bixby will remain the on-device interface for settings, quick commands, and local controls. When a user asks something more complex — deep research, long-form answers, or generative tasks — that request would be routed to Perplexity for processing.
That architecture mirrors how some other vendors pair a lightweight local assistant with a more capable cloud model. Think of it like a concierge who manages your hotel room but calls in a specialist for complicated requests.
Surprising shift after close ties with Google
Samsung’s move to work with Perplexity is notable because the company has leaned heavily on Google’s Gemini in recent years. Galaxy Unpacked events frequently showcased Gemini-powered features, and Samsung has publicly said Gemini wouldn’t be the only embedded assistant in its ecosystem. Still, reports now point to a slowdown in progress with Gemini integrations — and a push to diversify Samsung’s AI partnerships.
Early discussions between Samsung and Perplexity reportedly began earlier this year. Ideas on the table included bundling Perplexity as a default service on Galaxy phones or adding Perplexity-powered search in Samsung’s browser. Instead of swapping assistants entirely, Samsung appears to be redesigning Bixby so Perplexity becomes the engine for advanced queries while Bixby stays in charge of device-level interactions.
What Samsung engineers have said and the product timeline
Executives at Samsung have acknowledged the need to redefine Bixby as generative AI and large language models evolve. For years Bixby has lagged behind other AI features in Samsung’s software stack, and the company’s R&D leaders have said an updated version is in development. Perplexity looks poised to play a central role in that upgrade.
Reports indicate the Galaxy S26 series will be unveiled early next year, though launches could be slightly later than usual. That timing aligns with the rumored rollout of the new Bixby, suggesting Samsung intends to introduce its revamped assistant as part of the S26 story.
What users should watch for
- Improved answers and research: Offloading complex queries to Perplexity could make Bixby better at summaries, factual lookups, and conversational reasoning.
- Hybrid architecture: Expect a mix of on-device controls and cloud-powered responses — a balance between speed, capability, and latency.
- Privacy and data flow: Routing queries to an external AI service raises questions about data handling and transparency; Samsung will likely clarify policies before launch.
- Competition with Gemini: This move signals Samsung’s intent to diversify AI partners rather than rely on a single provider.
Imagine asking Bixby to plan a multi-step itinerary or synthesize several news articles: with Perplexity handling the heavy lifting, those sorts of requests could become faster and more accurate. For Samsung, the partnership is a bet on combining a familiar device assistant with state-of-the-art generative AI — and the Galaxy S26 may be the first place we see it in action.
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