Brazil, July 18 (via Reuters) — In its quest to take on Google, Nvidia-backed Perplexity AI is currently in discussions with smartphone manufacturers to have its Comet browser pre-installed on devices, CEO Aravind Srinivas told Reuters. If successful, this move would give Comet a major reach boost by taking advantage of users' tendency to stick with pre-loaded apps.
Why Pre‑Install Matters
Smartphone users often stick with the default browser they get out of the box — typically Chrome on Android. Convincing manufacturers to replace or add Comet alongside it isn't easy, said Srinivas, but the payoff could be huge in building habitual usage of Comet’s AI tools.
What Makes Comet Special
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Currently in desktop beta
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Uses “agentic AI”: it can access your emails, calendar, browsing history to answer questions, summarize web pages, or even set meetings
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Perplexity aims to take Comet from a few hundred thousand testers to tens or hundreds of millions of users next year
Browser Market Shake-up
Chrome currently holds around 70% of the mobile browser market, while Safari and Samsung's default browser account for about 24%, per Statcounter. A successful pre-install deal could challenge that dominance and reshape how people interact with mobile devices.
Talks with Samsung and Apple
Bloomberg and Reuters reported that Perplexity is in talks with Samsung and Apple to integrate Comet or its AI assistant into their ecosystems — potentially enhancing Bixby and Siri.
Backed by the Big Names
Earlier this year, Perplexity raised $500 million, valuing the company at around $14 billion, with strong investor backing from Nvidia, Jeff Bezos, Eric Schmidt, and others.
What This Means
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For users: A shift from search to a more interactive AI-powered browsing experience
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For OEMs: A chance to differentiate devices with cutting-edge AI features
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For Google: Increased pressure to develop its own agentic AI browser or risk losing ground.
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