Perplexity Targets Smartphone Browser Market with Comet AI
Perplexity, an AI startup backed by Nvidia, is negotiating with smartphone manufacturers to have its Comet browser pre-installed on new devices. This move aims to challenge the current dominance of Google Chrome and Apple Safari in the mobile browser market.
Since its launch in late 2022, Perplexity has quickly grown, reaching two million daily users and 15 million monthly active users. Its language model chatbot is praised for research and problem-solving capabilities, making it popular in both casual and professional settings. Following a recent funding round exceeding $500 million from major investors like Accel, Perplexity’s valuation stands at $14 billion.
Comet: AI-Powered Browser Built on Familiar Ground
Comet is currently in beta for desktop users and is built on Chromium architecture, making it feel familiar to Chrome users. What sets Comet apart is its enhanced AI capabilities driven by Perplexity’s large language model, which the company believes outperforms Google’s Gemini AI feature launched this year.
Perplexity’s CEO, Aravind Srinivas, emphasized the challenge of persuading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to change their default browser from Chrome to Comet. However, the company is focused on leveraging browser “stickiness”—the tendency of users to stick with pre-installed browsers—to gain market share.
Market Context and Industry Challenges
Google Chrome holds about 70% of the mobile browser market, while Safari and Samsung’s browsers share around 24%. Despite this, Perplexity has made some headway by securing pre-installation deals with Motorola, although Google Assistant remains the default assistant on those devices.
Perplexity’s Chief Business Officer Dmitry Shevelenko recently highlighted the difficulties smaller players face due to Google’s contracts with smartphone makers during testimony in an anti-trust case. Meanwhile, the startup is exploring partnerships with Samsung and Apple to integrate its AI search technology into voice assistants like Bixby and Siri.
Rumors have also surfaced about a potential acquisition by Apple, which could integrate Perplexity’s AI model into iPhones. While nothing is confirmed, this possibility underscores the strategic importance of Perplexity’s technology.
Backing and Roadmap
The company counts investors such as Nvidia, Accel, Jeff Bezos, and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt among its supporters, providing both capital and strategic guidance. Aravind Srinivas mentioned that the team is moving quickly but did not provide a specific timeline for Comet’s launch on Android devices.
The next few months are expected to be pivotal as Perplexity works to stabilize the desktop beta and expand its user base. If successful, Comet could attract tens to hundreds of millions of users in the coming year, marking a significant shift in mobile browser preferences.
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