Samsung is reportedly preparing a significant overhaul of its long-underutilized voice assistant, Bixby, by integrating external generative AI capabilities. In a surprising strategic move, the company is said to be favoring Perplexity AI over its current major partner, Google’s Gemini, to power the next generation of the assistant.
The news comes from well-regarded leaker @chunvn8888, who suggests that the upgraded, AI-powered Bixby could be announced alongside the Samsung Galaxy S26 series at its expected launch event early next year. This integration would mark the most substantial upgrade Bixby has received in years, despite other Galaxy features receiving massive AI boosts through the existing partnership with Google.
The integration model is expected to mirror Apple’s approach with ChatGPT for Siri, adopting a dual-system strategy. Bixby will continue to manage basic, on-device system tasks—such as adjusting settings or enabling core features—while more intricate or complex search-based queries will be routed to Perplexity for its advanced retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) capabilities.
This reported shift comes amid speculation that Samsung’s previously strong relationship with Google’s Gemini is starting to stagnate. For the last few launch cycles, Google-powered updates have dominated the spotlight at Galaxy Unpacked events, but the new Perplexity partnership hints at Samsung’s intent to diversify its AI stack and reduce its dependence on a single provider.
Samsung had previously signaled its commitment to evolving Bixby. Last year, Won-Joon Choi, EVP and Head of R&D for Samsung Mobile, stated that the company needed to “redefine the role of the Bixby” with the emergence of Large Language Model (LLM) technology, confirming that work was underway to integrate generative AI.
The collaboration with Perplexity has been anticipated for months, with earlier reports indicating Samsung was in discussions to integrate the AI search functionality into its native browser and potentially replace Gemini as the default assistant. Samsung has already taken a step in this direction by offering a free one-year subscription to Perplexity Pro to Galaxy owners in the US, familiarizing its user base with the service.
If the AI boost materializes, the newly capable Bixby is not expected to be limited to smartphones alone. The voice assistant is preloaded across Samsung’s wider ecosystem, including tablets, smart TVs, and refrigerators, suggesting that this AI upgrade could eventually spread across the full range of Galaxy and smart home devices.
Sources:
- MacRumors (via @chunvn8888): https://www.macrumors.com/2025/11/24/samsung-perplexity-powered-bixby/
- Android Headlines: https://www.androidheadlines.com/2025/11/samsung-galaxy-s26-series-bixby-perplexity-ai-upgrade.html
- 9to5Google: https://9to5google.com/2025/11/24/samsung-perplexity-bixby-upgrade-report/
- Android Authority: https://www.androidauthority.com/galaxy-s26-gemini-bixby-3618888/
- Perplexity AI (Samsung Promo): https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/en/articles/11825615-samsung-galaxy-perplexity-pro-12-months-free-for-u-s-galaxy-owners