Rumors of Samsung integrating Perplexity into its Galaxy phones have circulated for almost a year with little to show for it. That may finally change with the Galaxy S26 and One UI 8.5 release, as signs of Samsung using Perplexity for some Bixby queries are already popping up. A new leak now offers a first look at the Perplexity-powered Bixby.
From the video posted on X by @thatjoshguy69, Perplexity will seemingly handle web-based Bixby queries, with the handover seamlessly happening in the background (via @SamMobile). The answers will appear in typical Perplexity style, with sources marked by number citations at the top.
The Perplexity logo only appears at the bottom of the query result, so most users will have no clue that it’s not Bixby providing the answer.
Samsung is likely to use Perplexity only for summarizing and sourcing web-related queries, an area where the former excels. For other tasks, including controlling system settings, it should continue using Bixby, which already handles these functions quite well.
As part of the upgrade, Bixby will also get ChatGPT and Gemini-like chatbot capabilities. Similar to these platforms, you’ll presumably be able to engage in a conversation with Bixby and ask follow-up questions — all in natural language.
One report claimed that Samsung would become “one of the biggest investors” in the startup as part of its deal to integrate Perplexity on future Galaxy devices. However, neither company has officially announced anything on this front, so it remains unclear what happened.
Still, with the leaked One UI 8.5 firmware showing the Perplexity-powered Bixby, it’s clear that both parties have moved forward with at least some kind of partnership.
Will Samsung’s relationship with Google now take a hit?
Samsung has a close relationship with Google, and it has previously launched several new Android and Gemini features alongside its flagship Galaxy phones. Now, with the company integrating Perplexity into Bixby, it would be interesting to see how this impacts its equation with Google.
The Perplexity-powered Bixby should debut alongside the Galaxy S26 series with One UI 8.5 in late February. Samsung may initially limit the AI-powered assistant to its 2026 flagship phone before eventually expanding it to older flagships.