One UI 8.5 Leak Exposes Perplexity Over Supercharging Bixby

Behold, another means Samsung is reimagining its voice assistant: Bixby may get Perplexity AI’s help with tougher questions in One UI 8.5.

If true, that could turn Bixby from a utility to manage toggles and timers into a research-capable assistant that can cite sources and have richer conversations.

What the One UI 8.5 leak shows about Bixby and Perplexity

Screenshots shared by leaker @GalaxyTechie on X of what is said to be from an early One UI 8.5 build show Bixby sending tough questions to Perplexity’s engine and then surfacing structured, citation-based responses. The interface also points to a new Bixby Live view, suggesting real-time, back-and-forth chats rather than one-off commands.

SamMobile has corroborated the findings, pointing out that from its visual cues (a pop-up with a blue-purple glow) this is no different to what the top assistants do. It’s a great sign that Samsung is focusing on having interactive, contextual conversations with users over the old push command-and-control model.

Why Perplexity could change Bixby with sourced answers

Perplexity hangs its hat on retrieval-augmented answers: concise explanations included with citations so users can track down the answer. That method also gets at a common pain point of large language models — making confident yet unprovable claims — by attempting to ground the output in reference material. Academic groups such as Stanford’s CRFM have noted how retrieval can lower hallucinations and enhance user trust.

In effect, this could mean that Bixby could answer a question such as “Compare EU roaming rules for prepaid plans and quote the sources?” with informative text, including references to regulatory guidelines as well as carrier pages. It’s the sort of chore that has sent Bixby users back to the browser or to competitors like Gemini or ChatGPT.

There’s more boiling on the activation side as well. The strings were recently noticed by app sleuths in Perplexity’s Android app (v2.69.3) talking about a “Hey Plex” hotword, so one day you can call Perplexity as easily as any assistant on this here system. If Bixby passes the baton without a hiccup — and then gets it back again — users might have their cake and eat it too: machine controls along with research-grade answers.

Bixby Live and real-time assistance features explained

The leaked Bixby Live interface suggests an always-ready prompt that hovers over apps, along with live clarifications, follow-up questions and context carryover. Think hands-free conversation while getting directions or shopping, where you can ask, “Is this the best deal today?” and then instantly, if required, revise the query without re-initiating the interaction.

The images and strings also refer to camera- and screen-sensitive queries. That might allow for things like, “Read this restaurant menu and tell me where the vegetarian options are nearby,” or, “Explain what I’m looking at on this settings page,” with responses that match what’s visible through the camera or on a screen. It reflects features that have now become table stakes for the best assistants.

Deeper integrations with apps for seamless actions

In addition to search-style answers, One UI 8.5 is said to set the stage for more powerful app actions. Early references include partners such as Uber, HERE Maps and The Weather Channel. Think telling Bixby to compare commute routes within HERE, booking an Uber for the fastest route, and then sending an ETA through Messages — without switching between apps at all.

If Samsung makes intents and permissions uniform as a pattern that third-party developers can hook into, Bixby could evolve beyond merely “assistant to the phone” to “assistant across your apps.” That’s also the direction competitors are going, and it’s where assistant stickiness is won.

Privacy and the on-device balance when using Perplexity

Routing challenging queries to Perplexity brings up routine privacy concerns: what data leaves the device, how long it is stored and how results are personalized. Samsung has been talking about a hybrid model with on-device processing for sensitive tasks and cloud calls for heavier queries, underpinned by its own models such as Samsung Gauss and, where relevant, partner models.

Anticipate granular privacy controls and disclosures if this one ships widely. Admin policies, data residency options and the ability to restrict or audit cloud requests will be some of the options enterprises and public-sector buyers seek. Trust will also depend on understanding when Bixby remains local and when Perplexity steps in.

What to watch next as Bixby evolves with Perplexity AI

Regional differences could be significant. The China-market variant of Bixby is reported to utilize models such as DeepSeek for multimodal reasoning tasks, including live camera and screen-sharing. That suggests a world where model selection depends on the jurisdiction and data policy.

With all pre-release software, features included in early builds will evolve. Yet the direction is obvious: Bixby is transitioning from a voice remote to an actually conversational assistant, with Perplexity serving as the research brain. Should Samsung start serving up quick, relevant answers and smooth app actions, and make it easier to control privacy settings with Bixby on the button, longtime Galaxy holders may at last leave it turned on.