Perplexity AI wants to pre-install Comet browser on your phone to challenge Google Chrome's dominance
Currently, most smartphones ship with Google Chrome pre-installed, alongside an additional browser depending on the OEM, such as Samsung Internet on Samsung devices and the 'Internet' app on OnePlus devices.
Having Comet as a pre-installed browser could not only give the app recognition but also increase its stickiness among users. While AI is Comet's biggest selling point, the browser itself is built on Chromium architecture, making it an easy swap for existing Chrome users.
'It's not easy to convince mobile OEMs to change the default browser to Comet from Chrome,' Srinivas told Reuters about getting Comet pre-installed on smartphones.
Earlier this year, Perplexity's Chief Business Officer Dmitry Shevelenko testified in the Google antitrust case, stating that the tech giant had blocked its efforts to make Perplexity the default assistant on Motorola devices despite an agreement between both companies. He described Google's contracts with smartphone makers as a 'gun to your head.'
Perplexity eventually managed to get its app pre-installed on Motorola devices, while Google Assistant remained the default assistant app. A Bloomberg report earlier this year stated that Perplexity is working with Samsung and Apple to potentially integrate its AI search capabilities into their assistants. Apple currently uses in-house infrastructure for Siri while routing complex queries to ChatGPT, whereas Samsung has relied heavily on Google's Gemini for its AI features.
When asked about a release date for the Comet browser on Android during a recent AMA, Srinivas declined to give a timeline, saying, 'Team is sprinting.' For iOS, he stated the app could be ready in the next 2–3 months.
Currently, Comet is in beta and available only to Perplexity's paying customers on Windows and Mac, while free users can access the agentic browser through an invite list.
Srinivas told Reuters he aims to bring Comet to 'tens of hundreds of millions' of users next year after stabilising the desktop version for the initial few hundred thousand testers.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
16 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Pakistan willing for 'meaningful dialogue' with India: PM Shehbaz Sharif
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said his country was willing for a "meaningful dialogue" with India to resolve all outstanding issues. File photo of Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif.(REUTERS File) Sharif made the remarks while talking to British High Commissioner Jane Marriott, who called on the Prime Minister at the PM House, according to an official statement. The two discussed bilateral relations as well as the regional situation in South Asia and the Middle East. 'The Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for the UK's role in de-escalation of tensions during the Pakistan-India standoff and reiterated that Pakistan was ready for a meaningful dialogue with India on all outstanding issues,' according to the statement. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terrorist infrastructure in territories controlled by Pakistan in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. The strikes triggered four days of intense clashes that ended with an understanding on stopping the military actions on May 10. India has made it clear that it will only have a dialogue with Pakistan on the return of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and the issue of terrorism. On Pakistan-UK relations, the Prime Minister expressed satisfaction at the positive trajectory of bilateral cooperation and said that the recently held trade talks between the two countries would lead to mutually beneficial opportunities for both sides. He welcomed the UK government's recent decision to resume PIA flights to and from the UK, which, he said, would go a long way in alleviating the hardships faced by the British Pakistani community as well as enhancing people-to-people exchanges. During the meeting, the Prime Minister conveyed his warm wishes for King Charles III and Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He said he was looking forward to his meeting with the UK leadership later this year. The High Commissioner briefed him about her recent visit to London, where she had extensive consultations on enhancing Pakistan-UK bilateral ties. She lauded the government's economic performance in the last year and a half, under the vision and leadership of the Prime Minister, which had brought about a significant improvement in all key macro-economic indicators. She also shared with the Prime Minister, the UK's perspective on regional developments in South Asia and the Middle East.
Time of India
30 minutes ago
- Time of India
Amazon to acquire AI startup Bee that offer wearables to record daily conversations
Image credit: LinkedIn Amazon is set to acquire a startup named Bee that specialises in AI on-wrist devices. In a post shared on social networking site LinkedIn, Bee's CEO Maria de Lourdes Zollo confirmed this and said that this acquisition will 'bring truly personal, agentic AI to even more customers.' Currently, Bee offers a $49.99 Fitbit-like AI-based device to transcribe conversations. This allows the device to generate personalised summaries of daily activities, reminders, and suggestions within the Bee app. Users can also grant the device permission to access their emails, contacts, location, reminders, photos, and calendar events. This data helps inform the AI-generated insights and creates a searchable history of user activities. What Bee CEO said about Amazon's acquisition In her LinkedIn post, Zollo wrote: 'Bee is joining Amazon and we couldn't be more excited! When we started Bee, we imagined a world where AI is truly personal, where your life is understood and enhanced by technology that learns with you. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo What began as a dream with an incredible team and community now finds a new home at Amazon. Ethan and I couldn't think of better partners to help us bring truly personal, agentic AI to even more customers. Thank you to everyone who believed in us: our users, investors, and the entire Bee team. You made this milestone possible. Huge gratitude to Panos Panay and Nick Komorous for championing our vision and guiding us through this journey.' How Bee's AI device works According to a report by The Verge, when tested, the device often misinterpreted background media such as TV shows, TikTok videos, music, and movies as real-life conversations. As per the report, Amazon was also asked about its plans to apply the same privacy measures offered by Bee, such as its policy against storing audio. Responding to this the Amazon's spokesperson, Alexandra Miller, said that the company 'cares deeply' about customer privacy and security. The company also confirmed that it will work with Bee to offer users 'even greater control over' their devices as the deal closes. 'We've been strong stewards of customer data since our founding, and have never been in the business of selling our customers' personal information to others. We design our products to protect our customers' privacy and security and to make it easy for them to be in control of their experience — and this approach would of course apply to Bee,' Miller noted. Miller also added that the terms of the deal are 'confidential,' and that all Bee employees have 'received offers to join Amazon.' Big Question Answered: Why Google is Merging Android and ChromeOS AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
How Paytm is using AI for in-house ops
Academy Empower your mind, elevate your skills Vijay Shekhar Sharma-led Paytm reported a profitable Q1 FY2026 , attributing its operational efficiency and product innovation to artificial intelligence (AI) integration across the fintech major said it is deploying AI across its operations to streamline workflows and increase fraud and risk its latest earnings presentation, Paytm highlighted multiple AI-first features integrated into both internal processes and consumer-facing products.1) Paytm said it is using AI-led quality checks for merchant onboarding, including advanced image analysis and text recognition. With AI, verification is done through algorithms for merchant category code (MCC) deduction from shop photos, name matching, and optical character recognition (OCR).An MCC is a four-digit number that classifies businesses based on the types of goods or services they offer. These codes help payment networks standardise transactions and ensure accurate processing.2) Paytm's in-house AI platforms like Paytm ARMS (merchant lifecycle insights platform) and Paytm Pi (fraud and risk detection system) automate merchant onboarding, fraud detection, segmentation, and pricing proprietary fraud and risk detection AI engines help monitor merchant activity. It reports anomalies and predicts chargeback risks, including high-ticket refunds.3) The company uses conversational AI agents to provide personalised assistance to customers via text and voice across 11 languages.4) The ARMS platform also uses AI to profile merchants in real time and match them with the right financial products to improve retention and effective cross-selling.5) On the customer side, Paytm has integrated an AI assistant in partnership with Perplexity for users.
