- Perplexity AI has launched its voice assistant on iPhones and iPads.
- The voice assistant can perform tasks like drafting emails, playing music via Apple Music, setting reminders, and more, taking on Siri's job.
- It does have its limitations, as it doesn't work with all system apps and has occasional connectivity issues.
What was supposed to be an evolution of Siri, was turned out to be a colorful makeover and the ability to delegate tough questions to ChatGPT like a shiftless coworker. So while a smart Siri remains a distant dream, Perplexity’s new AI voice assistant is here to curb the bitter flavor Apple left in our mouths.
Perplexity‘s official X account recently announced that their AI voice assistant is now available on iPhones and iPads. It’s been available on Android since January, but it had to wait for Apple to grant necessary permissions before making its iOS debut. So it seems they have received a green flag from the Cupertino giant, and with Perplexity on board, I can already see Siri getting red with jealously.
Hands-on with Perplexity’s AI Voice Assistant
Now I have tried my fair share of voice assistants before, like Gemini Live, GPT Voice, and even Copilot. But this is my first time giving Perplexity a shot. So once I heard the news, I installed it on the iPhone 16e, signed up for it, and tried out their assistant.
I started by asking simple things, like drafting an email, and other common questions, which it had no issues helping with. But let’s move on to the more assistant-type of stuff. Like, I asked it to play that very popular song with Taylor Swift and ZAYN. It immediately knew what I was asking for and asked permission to open Apple Music.
“Wait! So it can bring up native apps to do stuff?” was my reaction when it happened. I was intrigued and went ahead and asked Perplexity to set a reminder. Without a hitch, it added a reminder to the Reminders app. Even when asked to send an email, it asked for Contacts permission so it can send it directly, like Siri would.
That’s not the extent of its prowess. Think about this, I bet most of you use Siri to ask about local restaurants. Well, Perplexity can do it too, and also book a reservation for you using OpenTable. Of course, you’d have to be the one to complete the final steps of the process, but it will fill in the details for you. Heck, it can also help you get a ride to the restaurant with Uber.
You can even use the voice assistant from anywhere on your iPhone. Yes, the AI continues to listen for you even when you exit the app. I also added the Perplexity widget to my home screen, making the AI assistant more accessible without needing to open the app.
Verdict: Siri-ously, This Is Awkward
After experiencing Perplexity, it’s hard to go back to Siri. But Perplexity also has its pain points. To start with, it doesn’t work with all system apps. So asking to set an alarm will result in Perplexity talking you through the process of opening the Clock app and doing it yourself.
This is quite a downgrade from its Android counterpart, which we tested back in January. Unlike on iOS, it could place calls, messages, and even read what’s on your screen. It also takes a few seconds to connect to the internet. There were a bunch of instances where it failed to connect to the network. So I had to try again for it to work. Also, for some reason, it can’t find contacts in your iPhone even after providing the Contacts permission.
Because of these reasons, I can’t use Perplexity as my full-time Siri alternative, even though I desperately want to. But on the plus side, I don’t have to have the latest iPhone to use Perplexity. It works just as good on my iPhone 13 as well. So while Apple sorts out their troubles, I am going to keep Perplexity and use it side-by-side to Siri as my other AI voice assistant.
