Perplexity’s Comet Browser Heads to Android in Bold Move Against Google Chrome

After introducing its Comet browser on Windows and Mac, Perplexity is gearing up to take a bold step into the mobile market by launching an Android version. CEO Aravind Srinivas recently confirmed that the company is already in talks with smartphone manufacturers to pre-install Comet on new devices. If successful, this move could make Comet a serious competitor to Google Chrome on mobile.

Currently, Chrome dominates the browser space on most Android devices, often shipping as the default option. Some manufacturers, like Samsung and OnePlus, include their own browsers alongside Chrome, but none have successfully challenged Google’s grip. With Comet, Perplexity is offering something different: an AI-first browser experience, built on the Chromium engine for familiarity but powered by smart search and assistant features at its core.

Convincing OEMs to swap out Chrome as the default browser won’t be easy. Srinivas himself admitted it’s a tough ask. However, there’s precedent for progress. Perplexity previously clashed with Google over making its AI assistant the default on Motorola devices. While Google Assistant retained its place, Perplexity still managed to get pre-installed on those phones. This suggests the company is willing to play hardball and has the strategy to back it up.

Perplexity isn’t stopping with Android either. Talks are reportedly underway with both Apple and Samsung to potentially integrate Comet’s AI search into their existing assistants. While Apple currently uses a mix of in-house tools and ChatGPT, and Samsung relies on Google’s Gemini, this could open doors for new partnerships and deeper ecosystem access.

The Comet browser is currently in beta for paying users on desktop, with an invite-only system for free users. On iOS, Srinivas says a public release could come in the next 2–3 months. As for Android, there’s no exact timeline yet, but the Perplexity team is working at full speed to roll it out soon.

If Perplexity succeeds in getting Comet pre-installed on smartphones, it could change the browsing landscape significantly. With AI as the foundation and a user-friendly Chromium design, Comet could become a go-to browser for users seeking a smarter, faster way to navigate the web.