By Key Points
- Perplexity is negotiating with mobile makers to pre-load its AI browser
- Comet aims to replace Chrome as the default browser on devices
- The browser uses AI to handle user tasks and personal data queries
- Perplexity targets mass adoption after raising $500M in funding
Perplexity AI, the Nvidia-backed search startup, is taking bold steps to expand its reach. The company is currently in talks with major smartphone manufacturers to pre-install its Comet AI browser on new devices, CEO Aravind Srinivas confirmed in a recent interview with Reuters.
This is a strategic push to challenge Google’s dominance in mobile browsing. With Chrome currently holding over 70% of mobile market share, getting Comet on devices out of the box could give Perplexity a critical advantage.
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.https://t.co/OFflw2yAzw
— The Hindu (@the_hindu) July 19, 2025
Users often stick with whatever browser is pre-installed, giving Comet an instant foothold if partnerships with mobile OEMs go through.
“It’s not easy to convince mobile OEMs to change the default browser to Comet from Chrome,” Srinivas admitted, citing user habits and platform lock-in as major hurdles.
Still, discussions are reportedly underway with Samsung and Apple, potentially setting the stage for Comet to land on millions of devices. If Perplexity can secure even a small portion of this space, it could shift the balance in how people interact with AI on their phones.
According to Reuters, Perplexity AI is in discussions with mobile OEMs to pre-install its Comet AI browser on smartphones.
Article link 🔗: https://t.co/w1nysLND6s#Perplexity #PerplexityComet pic.twitter.com/DV1cZwXw02
— Techolum (@techolum) July 19, 2025
Similar AI-focused shifts are happening across the board. For instance, ChatGPT’s agent launch recently marked OpenAI’s entry into agentic browsing, signaling a broader move toward AI that doesn’t just assist, but acts.
Comet AI Browser Offers Task-Driven Web Experience
The Comet AI Browser isn’t just a search engine—it’s an AI assistant built into your browser. Currently in beta for desktop, Comet blends traditional web browsing with powerful AI tools that help users interact with their data and perform tasks effortlessly.
Here’s what Comet can do:
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Answer questions based on your emails, calendars, and web history
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Summarize websites or documents in seconds
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Help manage meetings and personal tasks
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Offer real-time, intelligent suggestions while browsing
This marks a shift toward what experts call agentic AI—tools that don’t just provide information but act on your behalf with minimal effort. These AI-powered browsers are designed to make decisions, solve problems, and complete tasks based on user intent.
Perplexity in talks with phone makers to pre-install Comet AI mobile browser on devices – https://t.co/EUbptZ40sG
— Shehzad Younis شہزاد یونس (@shehzadyounis) July 19, 2025
Other companies are moving in the same direction. Microsoft’s Copilot Vision is pushing into visual AI experiences, and Google’s new AI notebooks are simplifying how students and professionals learn using AI tools.
Meanwhile, OpenAI’s own agentic browser is said to automate complex activities like planning trips or managing your calendar—all areas where Comet is also aiming to compete.
ChatGPT can now do work for you using its own computer.
Introducing ChatGPT agent—a unified agentic system combining Operator’s action-taking remote browser, deep research’s web synthesis, and ChatGPT’s conversational strengths. pic.twitter.com/7uN2Nc6nBQ
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) July 17, 2025
$500M in Funding Fuels Perplexity’s AI Expansion
The timing couldn’t be better. Earlier this year, Perplexity closed a $500 million investment round, which brought its total valuation to $14 billion. The round included heavyweight investors like Nvidia, Jeff Bezos, Accel, and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt.
This funding is being used to:
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Scale Comet from desktop to mobile
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Expand the AI’s agentic capabilities
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Secure partnerships with mobile OEMs
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Attract new users through pre-installation deals
CEO Aravind Srinivas said the company’s target is to bring Comet to “tens to hundreds of millions” of users by next year. That scale is ambitious, but with the right deals in place and continued tech development, it’s not far-fetched.
Perplexity is aligning itself with a broader trend in tech: users no longer want tools that just give them information—they want tools that act on their behalf.
Comet is being positioned as a next-gen browser that works like an AI assistant, and if it becomes a default option on phones, it might significantly disrupt how users interact with the web.
While competition grows, AI companies also face public scrutiny. Elon Musk’s Grok AI recently came under fire for controversial content. You can read more about Grok AI’s Nazi glitch and its public apology, showing how delicate the balance is between automation and responsible AI behavior.
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