Samsung’s latest move in mobile AI isn’t about picking a single “best” assistant, it’s about building a flexible lineup. With the company confirming it will introduce Perplexity as an additional AI “agent” inside Galaxy AI on upcoming flagship Galaxy devices, Samsung is explicitly framing Galaxy AI as an orchestrator that can bring multiple AIs together.
The result is a phone experience where different assistants can coexist and be invoked in different contexts. Reporting around the Galaxy S26 launch highlights this multi-assistant direction: Perplexity joins existing options like Google Gemini and Samsung’s own Bixby, giving users more than one path to get answers, automate actions, and summarize information.
Samsung’s multi-agent vision: Galaxy AI as an “orchestrator”
Samsung says it will “introduce Perplexity as an additional AI agent on upcoming flagship Galaxy devices,” describing Galaxy AI as an “orchestrator” that coordinates multiple AI experiences. That’s a meaningful positioning shift: instead of treating AI as a single assistant, Samsung is treating AI as a set of agents that can be selected or routed depending on task and user preference.
In practical terms, this approach aims to reduce lock-in. If one assistant excels at web-grounded Q&A and another at device control, Samsung can present them side by side rather than forcing everything through a single model or interface.
Regional coverage has reinforced the same framing, describing a “multi-agent ecosystem” where Perplexity becomes a third assistant option alongside Gemini and Bixby. The implication is that Samsung expects AI to remain plural, multiple providers, multiple strengths, rather than converging on one universal assistant.
Galaxy S26 rollout: Perplexity arrives alongside Gemini and Bixby
Multiple reports tie Perplexity’s phone integration directly to Samsung’s Galaxy S26 lineup. TechRadar describes Samsung announcing Perplexity integration on the Galaxy S26 as part of a broader push toward a multi-assistant AI approach, with Perplexity joining Gemini and Bixby on the device.
AP similarly reports that Samsung introduced the S26 lineup with Google Gemini plus “a new assistant from Perplexity,” positioning it as part of the company’s ongoing AI feature push. This matters because it signals Perplexity isn’t just an optional downloadable app, it’s being treated as a first-class assistant in the launch narrative.
Post-launch recaps also suggest that while Perplexity is being added as an alternative AI option, Gemini remains central to the overall AI feature set. In other words, Samsung is expanding choice without necessarily changing which assistant is the default “center of gravity” for many experiences.
How you’ll invoke it: “Hey Plex” and the side button shortcut
Samsung has confirmed activation methods for Perplexity on Galaxy devices, including a dedicated wake phrase: “Hey Plex.” That’s notable because it signals an assistant designed to be called quickly and conversationally, similar to how users already think about voice assistants.
For users who prefer tactile controls (or who keep wake words disabled), Samsung also says Perplexity can be accessed via quick-access controls such as pressing and holding the side button. This aligns Perplexity with the same “instant access” ergonomics users expect from built-in assistants.
These access paths also hint at deeper integration: wake phrases and hardware shortcuts are typically reserved for assistants the system recognizes at a privileged level. It reinforces the idea that Perplexity is being treated as an integrated agent in Galaxy AI, not merely a separate service you open manually.
System-level integration: Samsung apps first, then select third-party apps
Samsung says Perplexity will be “deeply embedded” across select core Samsung apps, explicitly naming Notes, Clock, Gallery, Reminder, and Calendar. That list reveals the use cases Samsung is prioritizing: planning, memory aids, personal content organization, and quick productivity actions.
Integration in Notes and Reminder, for example, suggests flows like turning a rough thought into a structured note or converting a request into a task list. In Calendar and Clock, the promise is likely faster scheduling, time-blocking, and context-aware queries about upcoming events. Gallery integration implies AI help with organizing, finding, or interpreting personal photos.
Samsung also states Perplexity will extend into “select third-party apps.” While the company hasn’t enumerated which apps those are in the same way it did for Samsung’s own suite, the statement implies Samsung wants Perplexity to be useful beyond first-party tools, where many users actually spend most of their time.
Pricing and availability context: S26 launch window and AI upgrades
The timing of this partnership is tied closely to Samsung’s flagship release cycle. AP reports the Galaxy S26 series launches March 11, with pricing listed as $899 for the base model, $1,099 for the Plus, and $1,299 for the Ultra, while noting the Perplexity assistant as part of the AI upgrades arriving with the lineup.
This pairing of hardware launch and assistant expansion is strategic: it makes AI a line feature for premium devices rather than a post-purchase add-on. It also means buyers evaluating the S26 aren’t just comparing cameras and screens, they’re comparing AI ecosystems.
It’s also a signal about Samsung’s monetization and differentiation strategy. Rather than positioning AI as a single branded layer, Samsung is selling an AI-capable flagship where multiple assistants can be orchestrated, potentially making the platform more resilient as user preferences and model performance evolve.
A bigger pattern: Samsung hints at more AI partners, and Perplexity’s handset momentum
Samsung’s multi-assistant posture appears intentionally expandable. TechRadar attributes a quote to a Samsung smartphone product-planning lead: “There’s possibility for another partner to join the ecosystem.” If accurate, that suggests Perplexity is not the end state, but one step in a growing roster of AI agents inside Galaxy AI.
The Samsung, Perplexity relationship also predates phones. Samsung’s newsroom announcement from Oct 21, 2025 describes launching a Perplexity AI-powered TV app and explicitly calls it a “partnership with Perplexity,” including an executive quote characterizing it as “the latest that will deliver cutting-edge AI technology” to Samsung device owners. That history helps explain how a deeper phone integration became plausible: the two companies were already collaborating on consumer AI experiences.
On Perplexity’s side, Samsung is a major addition to its distribution story. CNBC reported that Perplexity entered smartphones via a Motorola distribution partnership in 2025. Adding Samsung, one of the world’s largest Android phone makers, extends Perplexity’s reach dramatically and raises the stakes for how assistant choice could evolve across Android ecosystems.
Samsung partnering with Perplexity for phone AI is best understood as a platform play: Galaxy AI is being positioned as an orchestrator where multiple assistants can coexist, with Perplexity joining Gemini and Bixby rather than replacing them. The confirmed “Hey Plex” wake phrase, side-button access, and system-level app integrations underscore that this is meant to feel native, not bolted on.
For users, the immediate benefit is choice, different assistants for different needs, paired with tighter integration into everyday apps like Notes, Calendar, and Gallery. For the industry, the message is broader: Samsung appears to be building a multi-agent ecosystem that can add more partners over time, making the phone less dependent on any single AI provider’s roadmap.
