Perplexity AI Named Default Assistant on Motorola Phones, Samsung in Talks

Perplexity AI, the San Francisco-based startup behind a search-style AI assistant, is making moves to embed its technology deeper into mobile devices. The company has secured a deal with Motorola and is in early-stage talks with Samsung Electronics to expand its reach across the Android ecosystem, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

The Motorola partnership will be formally announced at an April 24 product event in New York City. It includes:

• Preloading Perplexity as an assistant on Motorola smartphones

• A custom interface for foldable Razr models

• Marketing support encouraging users to try Perplexity alongside Google’s Gemini and Motorola’s native AI system

While Samsung discussions are ongoing, sources say the potential deal could involve:

• Preloading Perplexity’s Android app

• Offering Perplexity as a default assistant option

• Featuring it prominently in the Galaxy Store

Spokespeople from Perplexity, Samsung, and Motorola declined to comment on the discussions.

The Samsung relationship is particularly notable, as the company has a long-standing partnership with Alphabet Inc.—which powers many of its AI features and provides Google Search as the default engine. However, Samsung has already backed Perplexity through its investment arm, NEXT, and is reportedly considering another investment as Perplexity explores a new funding round that could raise up to $1 billion and double its valuation to $18 billion.

Why It Matters

Perplexity, founded in 2022, has gained traction with a unique blend of real-time results, a search engine-like user-interface, and access to multiple models including those from OpenAI and Anthropic. It’s already powering an AI-first phone in partnership with Deutsche Telekom, set to be revealed later this year.

Securing real estate on Motorola phones—and potentially Samsung’s—gives Perplexity direct user exposure in a space still dominated by Gemini and ChatGPT. Motorola has a smaller slice of the global smartphone market, but Samsung commands roughly 20%, making it a pivotal opportunity for long-term scale.

What This Means

This is a play for visibility—and legitimacy. For emerging AI players like Perplexity, the ability to go device-native offers more than just user acquisition: it builds brand awareness at the hardware level, where decisions about default assistants and integrated AI shape real-world behavior.

If Samsung moves forward, it would mark a major shift in the mobile AI landscape—giving users more choice while challenging Google’s grip on Android ecosystems.

Perplexity isn’t just building an assistant. It’s aiming to be the interface for AI-native search, and the smartphone is its gateway to mass adoption.

Editor’s Note: This article was created by Alicia Shapiro, CMO of AiNews.com, with writing, image, and idea-generation support from ChatGPT, an AI assistant. However, the final perspective and editorial choices are solely Alicia Shapiro’s. Special thanks to ChatGPT for assistance with research and editorial support in crafting this article.