Samsung is restructuring its approach to virtual assistants by integrating Perplexity into Galaxy AI for the upcoming S26 series. This expansion introduces a multi-agent ecosystem to Samsung's flagship smartphones. Users will interact with the new tool using a dedicated wake phrase, "Hey Plex"—which Samsung notes is not to be confused with the streaming service Plex—or trigger it instantly via quick-access physical controls.
A Multi-Agent Approach to Galaxy AI
The partnership weaves Perplexity's AI agent into Samsung's core operating system utilities. The integration goes beyond standard web queries by interfacing seamlessly with native mobile applications.
At launch, the Perplexity agent hooks into:
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Samsung Notes
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Clock
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Gallery
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Reminder
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Calendar
Samsung confirmed that unspecified third-party applications will also support the new AI agent. This multi-agent structure runs alongside Samsung's revamped Bixby, marking a definitive shift away from forcing users into a single proprietary assistant.
Won-Joon Choi, President, COO, and Head of the R&D Office for Samsung's Mobile eXperience Business, framed the shift as a major usability upgrade.
"Galaxy AI acts as an orchestrator, bringing together different forms of AI into a single, natural, cohesive experience," Choi stated.
Hardware Announcements and Software Progression
This mobile deployment builds on a prior corporate agreement. Last year, Samsung partnered with Perplexity to integrate the search engine into its televisions, establishing the foundation for this system-wide mobile rollout.
Navigating Industry Backlash
While the technical integration advances rapidly, Perplexity brings intense industry backlash into the Samsung partnership. The tech giant is adopting an AI partner currently under fire for alleged content scraping and copyright infringement.
The search engine's data harvesting methods triggered significant copyright litigation last year. In September, dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster and Encyclopedia Britannica filed formal lawsuits against Perplexity. These ongoing disputes center on claims that the AI company scraped proprietary information and presented false data. By elevating an embattled startup to a core system-level feature, Samsung is taking a massive gamble—betting that Perplexity's multi-agent utility will outshine the inherent risks of bypassing safer, more established players like Google Gemini.