AI search company Perplexity has officially launched its Comet browser on Android. This release follows the startup's initial debut of the AI-centric browser on desktop in July, which introduced AI-powered search capabilities.
The Android version of Comet brings most of the desktop browser's functionalities to mobile users. Users can set Perplexity as their default search engine, interact with open tabs to ask the AI assistant questions, and utilize a voice mode to query information across all open tabs. Furthermore, the assistant can efficiently summarize searches spanning multiple tabs.
Perplexity states that the browser is also capable of conducting research and assisting with shopping on behalf of the user, allowing them to monitor the actions taken by the Comet assistant. A notable addition to the Android version is a built-in ad blocker.
In the coming weeks, Perplexity plans to introduce several new features to the app. These include a conversational agent capable of searching across multiple sites, the ability to create shortcuts for the assistant to perform quick actions, and a fully functional password manager.
Earlier this month, the startup updated its Comet Assistant on desktop to handle more complex and longer-running tasks, such as transferring data from a website to a spreadsheet.
While Perplexity prioritized an Android launch, the company confirmed that an iOS version will be available soon. The decision to focus on Android first was driven by significant interest from carriers and OEMs seeking to integrate Comet into their devices and solutions. However, Perplexity has not yet announced any specific partnerships related to this mobile launch.
Earlier this year, Perplexity partnered with Motorola to preload its core app on the company's devices. It remains unspecified whether this agreement will extend to pre-installing the new Comet browser as well.
The Evolving Landscape of AI Browsers
The development of AI-powered browsers has become a significant area of interest for many tech companies. Beyond Perplexity, major players like OpenAI, Opera, and The Browser Company (now owned by Atlassian) have also launched their own AI browsers. However, most of these have largely been desktop releases.
The Browser Company did release Arc Search for mobile last year, but it has not seen significant updates. Late last year, the company shifted its focus to a new AI-first browser called Dia, which currently lacks a mobile version.
These companies are actively striving to challenge established browsers like Chrome and Safari with their AI-enhanced offerings. Yet, security experts have raised concerns regarding potential security vulnerabilities in AI agents. In response, Perplexity published a blog post in October acknowledging these risks and emphasizing that new paradigms for AI-aided attacks necessitate a fundamental rethinking of security approaches.
