Perplexity in talks with phone makers to pre-install Comet AI mobile browser on devices

By Akash Sriram

(Reuters) -Nvidia-backed Perplexity AI, the startup challenging Google with its AI-powered search engine, is in discussions with mobile device makers to pre-install its new Comet browser on smartphones, CEO Aravind Srinivas told Reuters on Friday.

The move could significantly boost Perplexity's reach by capitalizing on browser "stickiness", where users tend to stick with browser apps that are pre-installed or set as default on their devices, potentially driving habitual use of the company's AI tools.

"It's not easy to convince mobile OEMs to change the default browser to Comet from Chrome," Srinivas said, referring to original equipment manufacturers and highlighting the challenge of user inertia on mobile platforms.

Comet, currently in beta and available only on desktops, integrates Perplexity's AI directly into web browsing, allowing users to ask questions about personal data like emails, calendars, or browsing history, and even perform tasks such as scheduling meetings or summarizing webpages.

Perplexity aims to target "tens to hundreds of millions" of users next year after stabilizing the desktop version for a few hundred thousand initial testers, Srinivas said.

Its efforts reflect a broader industry shift toward browsers with agentic AI capabilities, ones that need minimal human intervention to make decisions and achieve specific tasks.

Reuters reported earlier this month that OpenAI is developing its own agentic AI browser, which could automate complex tasks such as booking travel or managing finances.

As of last month, Google's Chrome had a market share of about 70% in mobile devices, while Apple's Safari and Samsung's browsers together commanding another 24%, according to Statcounter data.

Bloomberg News reported in June that Perplexity was in talks with Samsung Electronics and Apple to integrate its AI search capabilities into their devices, potentially enhancing assistants like Bixby or Siri.

Perplexity has completed a $500 million investment round, which valued it at $14 billion earlier this year. Its investors include Accel, Nvidia, Jeff Bezos and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. 

(Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)