In an effort to take on Google’s dominance in the search engine market, Perplexity AI is aiming to make waves in the mobile industry. The Nvidia-backed start-up is in talks with smartphone manufacturers to pre-install its browser, Comet, on mobile devices. The goal? To offer an AI-powered search experience that competes directly with Google’s search engine. 
By partnering with phone makers, Perplexity seeks to make its AI-driven browsing tools more accessible, setting the stage for the company to break into the mobile market.
Perplexity’s CEO, Aravind Srinivas, has shared that the company is keen on leveraging the ‘browser stickiness’ effect – a concept where users tend to continue using the browser that comes pre-installed on their devices. This is a tactic that Google has been using for years, and now Perplexity aims to replicate it. However, Srinivas acknowledged the hurdles involved, particularly the stronghold Google’s Chrome has on the mobile market, and how difficult it is to convince smartphone makers to replace Chrome with Comet. “It’s not easy to convince mobile OEMs to change the default browser to Comet from Chrome,” said Srinivas.
Comet, currently in its beta phase, is already available on desktop. The browser integrates Perplexity AI to deliver a highly personalized experience, enabling users to interact with their data, ask questions, and even issue commands. Features like web page summarization, meeting scheduling, and smart assistance aim to revolutionize how users interact with the web. Comet is designed to be more than just a browser-it seeks to become a full-fledged personal assistant that helps users manage their daily tasks.
Perplexity AI has bold plans for Comet. The company envisions reaching tens of millions of users within the next year, setting its sights on becoming a key player in the growing field of agentic AI browsers. This category of browsers aims to minimize human input and automate everyday tasks. While Perplexity faces stiff competition, including from well-funded players like OpenAI, the company is betting on its unique AI integration to carve out its own niche.