Samsung may revamp Bixby with Perplexity AI in Galaxy S26 for smarter, deeper answers: Here’s what we know

Samsung’s upcoming flagship is shaping up to be more than just another yearly update, as the tech giant plans to bring major changes to its voice assistant. Many people use Bixby for basic tasks, but Samsung now seems ready to change how it works. Recent leaks say that a new Bixby could launch with the Samsung Galaxy S26 and offer better help with everyday questions. Samsung hasn’t confirmed anything yet, but the leaks suggest the company wants to make Bixby more useful, quicker, and better at understanding what people need. If true, Galaxy users may get a smarter assistant that can answer more complex questions while still doing simple tasks, giving Samsung an advantage over its competitors.

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Samsung is expected to introduce the upgraded version of Bixby next year, and new reports indicate that the company may rely on Perplexity’s AI system to boost the assistant’s overall intelligence. Earlier rumours pointed to the Galaxy S25 as the planned launch device, especially after Samsung surprised Galaxy users by offering a free year of Perplexity Pro. Those plans did not materialise at the time, but the idea now appears to be returning in a more refined form with the upcoming Galaxy S26 series.

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According to the latest leak, Samsung intends for Bixby to remain responsible for core on-device actions such as setting alarms, placing calls, managing reminders and adjusting phone settings. However, when users need richer or more detailed responses, the assistant may quietly hand the query over to Perplexity in the background. This setup reflects how some other smartphone ecosystems divide responsibilities by using one assistant for quick and simple tasks and another for deeper, information-driven queries.

Samsung has explored the idea of a partnership with Perplexity before, although those discussions never resulted in anything public. Even so, the earlier move to provide Galaxy users with complimentary access to Perplexity Pro hinted that both companies were open to future collaboration. The latest leak suggests that this long-discussed cooperation could finally appear on consumer devices with the launch of the Galaxy S26.

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Samsung already integrates several Google features and services across its phones, which has raised questions about how Perplexity might fit within the existing software framework. Analysts do not predict any immediate tension, but they note that adding another advanced AI assistant could introduce a new layer of competition inside Samsung’s ecosystem.

Perplexity is known for fast, concise, and well-sourced answers, and its integration could help Bixby deliver stronger and more informative responses to everyday queries. Some Galaxy users may still like Google’s tools better, while others might be happy with a fresh alternative that complements instead of replaces Bixby. With the Galaxy S26, it looks like Samsung is ready to offer a more flexible assistant experience while giving Perplexity access to an incomparably wider audience.

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More details are expected at Samsung’s next Unpacked event. If the rumours turn out to be accurate, Indian users and Galaxy fans around the world may soon have access to a more capable version of Bixby that handles both routine tasks and complex queries with greater ease.

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Bhaskar Sharma

Bhaskar is a senior copy editor at Digit India, where he simplifies complex tech topics across iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and emerging consumer tech. His work has appeared in iGeeksBlog, GuidingTech, and other publications, and he previously served as an assistant editor at TechBloat and TechReloaded. A B.Tech graduate and full-time tech writer, he is known for clear, practical guides and explainers. View Full Profile