Okay, real talk: how often has Siri left you hanging with a “Here’s what I found on the web” when you needed something done? 🙋♂️ It happens to the best of us. For years, it feels like we’ve been waiting for our iPhone assistants to get genuinely smart, especially with the AI revolution happening all around us.
Well, buckle up because Perplexity AI, the “answer engine” known for giving you sourced answers instead of just links, just brought its conversational voice assistant to iOS just last week! And the timing? Let’s say it’s very interesting, given the reported delays with Apple’s own “Apple Intelligence” and the smarter Siri we were promised. Perplexity is sliding right into that gap.
So, What’s the Big Deal? It’s an Agent
This isn’t just about talking to your search engine. Perplexity is pushing into agentic AI. What does that mean? It means the AI doesn’t just find information; it aims to do things for you by interacting with other apps. It’s trying to be the assistant that bridges the gap between knowing what you want and actually making it happen. They cleverly used standard iOS developer tools to make this happen, connecting their AI brain to the apps we use daily.
What kind of stuff can it actually do?
- Bookings: Ask for a table tonight, and it can pop open OpenTable with the details mostly filled in. Need a ride? It can tee up an Uber request.
- Emails: Dictate an email, and it’ll draft it in the Mail app, which is ready for your final check.
- Scheduling: Add events to your calendar or set reminders (with permission, of course).
- Media: Find specific songs on Apple Music or pull up videos on YouTube.
- Navigation: Get directions started in Apple Maps.
Perplexity vs. Siri: The Showdown
So, is it time to kick Siri to the curb? Well, not entirely. Siri still has exclusive access to core iPhone functions – setting system alarms, changing settings like Wi-Fi or Do Not Disturb, and sending texts directly via Messages. Perplexity can’t touch those.
But where they overlap, Perplexity often feels like it’s playing a different game:
- Action, Not Just Links: This is huge. Ask Perplexity to book that table; it opens OpenTable and fills in the details. Ask Siri the same thing, and you’re likely getting… web links. Perplexity tries to initiate the task, making it feel genuinely helpful.
- Smoother Conversations: Perplexity seems much better at understanding natural language and keeping track of the conversation flow. It feels less like issuing commands and more like having a dialogue.
- Works on Older iPhones: Big plus, this runs on devices like the iPhone 12/13, unlike Apple Intelligence, which demands newer hardware.
Perplexity makes you feel more capable and less frustrated with everyday assistant tasks. It’s closer to the helpful AI companion many of us envisioned years ago.
Final Take: Worth Your Time? Heck Yes
Perplexity’s voice assistant on iOS is a genuinely exciting development. It’s fast, conversational, and surprisingly good at orchestrating tasks across different apps (often better than Siri).
No, it can’t replace Siri for everything due to those system limitations. However, it offers a glimpse of a more powerful, proactive AI assistant for a wide range of common requests. It shows what’s possible even within Apple’s constraints. It pressures Apple to deliver on that “smarter Siri” promise.
If you’re curious, download the app, tap that waveform icon, and take it for a spin. You might find yourself reaching for it more often than you expect.