Perplexity AI Plots Bold Move To Replace Chrome, Safari On Smartphones: All You Need To Know

Perplexity AI, the buzzy AI startup backed by Nvidia and valued at $14 billion, is looking to take on the big guns of mobile browsing. The company is reportedly in discussions with smartphone manufacturers to have its new Comet browser pre-installed on devices, positioning it as a direct challenger to Google Chrome and Apple’s Safari.

Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas told Reuters that getting Comet onto phones by default could mark a turning point in the company’s growth ambitions, even though such positions are notoriously hard to claim. “It’s difficult to dislodge entrenched defaults,” he acknowledged, “but securing such deals could be a game-changer for user growth.”

The Rise of Comet and ‘Agentic AI’

Comet, currently in beta for desktops, blends traditional browsing with Perplexity’s AI-driven features. Unlike conventional browsers, Comet is built around the concept of “agentic AI”, a term Perplexity uses to describe browsers that function more like intelligent digital assistants.

Users can ask Comet to handle everyday tasks such as parsing through their calendar, replying to emails, summarising content from web pages, or even scheduling meetings. The company is stress-testing the product with a few hundred thousand users at the moment, with bigger ambitions for next year. “We hope to stabilise the product for a few hundred thousand testers before targeting ‘tens to hundreds of millions’ of users next year,” Srinivas said.

Billion-Dollar Backing and High-Profile Support

Perplexity’s momentum comes on the back of a massive $500 million funding round, which closed recently. The company’s valuation now stands at a staggering $14 billion. Its list of backers includes industry heavyweights like Nvidia, venture capital firm Accel, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt.

The push to get Comet embedded into smartphones underscores how seriously Perplexity is taking its ambitions to reshape internet search and browsing. By integrating AI more deeply into the browser layer, the company is betting on a future where users don’t just search, they delegate.

With deep pockets, a powerful vision, and the confidence to go up against Silicon Valley’s most entrenched players, Perplexity AI is hoping that Comet will be more than just another browser. It wants it to be your next AI assistant, right out of the box.

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