Perplexity is in talks with mobile device manufacturers to have its AI-powered Comet browser preinstalled on smartphones, CEO Aravind Srinivas told Reuters. This includes discussions with Android OEMs in what could become a direct challenge to Google Chrome’s default status on most phones.

Srinivas said the company wants Comet to become a native feature on devices, similar to how Chrome is integrated today. This reflects an industry trend that is moving away from traditional search and web browsing toward agentic AI and the integration of AI tools into mobile hardware.

The company recently launched Comet for Max users, with a wider rollout expected soon. Srinivas told Reuters that the goal is to reach "tens to hundreds of millions" of users next year.

Why Perplexity wants to get on phones now

Getting a browser preloaded on smartphones is a powerful way to gain user share, especially in a market where Google Chrome comes preinstalled on nearly every Android device. Most phones today ship with Chrome as the default, along with another brand-specific browser. For example, Samsung phones include Samsung Internet, and OnePlus ships with its Internet app.

Reports suggest that Samsung is already in talks with Perplexity to preload its app and assistant on Galaxy devices set to launch in 2026. If that happens, it would put Perplexity in direct competition with Google Search and Gemini, both of which are integrated into Samsung’s devices. Apple is also considering Perplexity as an alternative to Google, though it still uses Siri for voice and routes complex queries to ChatGPT.

However, Srinivas acknowledges that it will be difficult to convince phone makers to swap Chrome for Comet. “It’s not easy to convince mobile OEMs to change the default browser to Comet from Chrome,” he told Reuters. Still, the company is betting on growing demand for AI-first tools that go beyond traditional search.

Perplexity has already signed a global deal with Motorola to preload its answer engine and AI assistant on new phones.

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