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Samsung appears to be giving Bixby a serious makeover by tapping a ChatGPT rival. The company is testing a Perplexity-powered Bixby in the One UI 8.5 beta, bringing web-aware answers and more capable conversational AI to Galaxy devices.
Perplexity helps Bixby catch up (without reinventing the wheel)
For years Bixby lagged behind Apple’s Siri and Google Assistant in natural language finesse. Now Samsung is taking a different tack: instead of building everything from scratch, it’s partnering with Perplexity — an AI company known for blending web access with multiple language models to deliver precise, sourced responses.
Reports and a leaked screenshot from a user on X show Bixby returning answers explicitly sourced to Perplexity. The feature surfaced in the One UI 8.5 beta changelog and has begun appearing in real-world tests: Bixby can offer context-aware suggestions, like practical recommendations based on current weather.
What this means for Galaxy users and the AI assistant race
Perplexity has already been integrated into some Samsung smart appliances — think connected refrigerators with screens — and U.S. Galaxy owners enjoyed 12 months of free access to the Perplexity service via a separate app. The new step is folding Perplexity’s capabilities directly into Bixby across devices.
- Deeper phone control: Unlike some third-party assistants, Bixby can reach system settings and control built-in apps, giving Samsung an edge over Google’s Gemini when it comes to device-level tasks.
- Choice and flexibility: One UI still lets users set Gemini or Alexa as the default assistant while keeping Bixby available via its wake word for specific system interactions.
- Beta-phase rollout: The integration is currently in testing on One UI 8.5 beta. Samsung hasn’t confirmed a full launch timeline or whether it will spotlight the feature during the Galaxy S26 announcement.
Imagine asking your phone for a tailored packing list based on a multi-city trip or getting step-by-step home setup advice that ties into your fridge and thermostat — that’s the kind of seamless, cross-device help Samsung is aiming for by combining Bixby’s deep system access with Perplexity’s web-savvy responses.
Why Samsung’s strategy matters
Rather than a head-to-head rebuild, Samsung’s partnership approach speeds innovation and reduces risk. By leveraging Perplexity’s research-focused models and live web access, Bixby can offer fresher, more accurate answers and citations, closing the gap with rivals who have already embraced external AI integrations.
Will this be enough to sway users who prefer Gemini or Alexa? It depends on delivery: accuracy, speed, privacy controls, and how smoothly Bixby can control device features that other assistants can’t reach. For now, the experiment in One UI 8.5 is quietly unfolding — and it could reshape which AI assistant Galaxy owners turn to for serious tasks.
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