For years, Samsung's Bixby voice assistant has been a persistent but often overlooked feature on Galaxy devices, struggling to compete with the intelligence and versatility of rivals like Google Assistant and Apple's Siri. However, a significant shift is underway. Samsung is now injecting new life into Bixby by integrating technology from Perplexity AI, a move that promises to transform the assistant from a simple command tool into a capable, research-oriented companion. This strategic partnership, currently visible in beta software, signals Samsung's commitment to keeping its in-house assistant relevant in the age of generative AI.
Samsung's Strategic Partnership with Perplexity AI
Samsung is not building its advanced AI capabilities from scratch. Instead, the company has partnered with Perplexity AI, a service known for its research-first approach that blends large language models with real-time web access. This integration allows Bixby to source responses for complex queries directly from Perplexity's engine. The collaboration was first hinted at last month and is now materializing for smartphone users as part of the One UI 8.5 beta, which began rolling out in December 2025. This follows earlier integrations on other Samsung products, such as connected refrigerators, indicating a company-wide strategy to enhance Bixby's intelligence across its ecosystem.
Key Integration Details:
- AI Partner: Perplexity AI
- Primary Benefit: Enables real-time web research and context-aware, detailed responses for Bixby.
- Current Availability: One UI 8.5 beta (as of December 2025).
- Expected Full Rollout: With the Galaxy S26 series launch in early 2026.
- Previous Integration: Already implemented in Bixby on Samsung smart home appliances (e.g., connected refrigerators).
Enhanced Capabilities and User Experience
The core upgrade lies in Bixby's newfound ability to understand context and provide detailed, practical information. Previously, a weather query might have returned a simple temperature reading. Now, the Perplexity-powered Bixby can analyze forecast data to offer actionable advice, such as suggesting a jacket based on the temperature or an umbrella if rain is likely. This shift moves Bixby beyond basic system controls—like opening apps or changing settings—and into the realm of a smart research assistant that can answer "how" and "why" questions with depth and relevance drawn from current web data.
The Competitive Landscape and Samsung's Platform Control
This revival of Bixby serves a dual purpose for Samsung. Firstly, it directly addresses the "intelligence gap" between Bixby and competitors like Google's Gemini. By offloading complex reasoning and web research to Perplexity, Bixby can focus on its traditional strength: deep integration with and control over the Galaxy device's system settings and apps. Secondly, it provides Samsung with greater platform independence. While the company maintains a strong partnership with Google, having a capable, in-house assistant powered by a third-party AI (Perplexity) ensures Samsung isn't solely reliant on Google's ecosystem for advanced AI features on its devices.
Bixby's Competitive Positioning:
- Core Strength: Deep system integration and control over Galaxy device settings and apps.
- New AI Capability: Handles complex queries and research via Perplexity AI.
- User Choice: One UI allows users to set Gemini or Alexa as the primary assistant, with Bixby accessible via a wake word.
- Strategic Goal: Close the "intelligence gap" with rivals while maintaining platform independence from Google.
Rollout Timeline and Future Expectations
As of late December 2025, the enhanced Bixby experience is available to users testing the One UI 8.5 beta on devices like the Galaxy S25 series. The full, stable rollout is widely expected to coincide with the launch of the Galaxy S26 series in early 2026, with these new models likely being the first to ship with the feature fully enabled. Samsung typically extends major software updates to recent flagship devices shortly after a new launch, so owners of current models can likely expect the upgrade in the coming months. This strategic timing positions the renewed Bixby as a key software feature for Samsung's next generation of hardware.
A New Chapter for Bixby
Samsung's integration of Perplexity AI marks a pivotal moment for Bixby. It is no longer just a legacy feature but is being repositioned as a modern, AI-augmented assistant. For users who have long ignored Bixby in favor of Gemini or Alexa—which remain selectable as the primary assistant on One UI—this update may finally provide a compelling reason to reconsider. By combining Perplexity's research intelligence with Bixby's system-level access, Samsung is crafting a unique assistant that could carve out a meaningful space in the increasingly crowded and competitive landscape of smartphone AI.