Samsung is weaving Perplexity’s AI deeply into the Galaxy S26 series, introducing a new Hey Plex wake phrase and a system-level upgrade that turns the assistant into a true on-device agent. Rather than living as a standalone chatbot, Perplexity will work across core Samsung apps and select third‑party services to complete multi‑step tasks without constant app switching.
What Hey Plex Brings To Galaxy S26 With Deep Integration
Galaxy S26 owners will be able to summon Perplexity hands‑free with Hey Plex or by pressing and holding the side button. From there, the assistant can act inside Samsung Notes, Calendar, Gallery, Clock, and Reminders, carrying context from one step to the next. The goal is continuity: ask one prompt and let the agent gather info, draft a note, set a reminder, and schedule an event without juggling screens.
Consider a quick example: “Plan a follow‑up for my client call.” Hey Plex could pull highlights from a meeting note in Notes, create a to‑do in Reminders, suggest times in Calendar, and attach a relevant image from Gallery for the deck you’re building. Similarly, “Wake me for the 7 a.m. flight and summarize the itinerary” could set a smarter alarm in Clock and generate a compact brief, all inside native apps.
Samsung says this is more than bolting an AI model onto a keyboard. Perplexity runs as a system‑level agent with access to on‑device context (subject to permissions), enabling background steps that previously required manual hops between apps.
A Multi‑Agent Strategy Alongside Bixby On S26
Crucially, Perplexity is not replacing Bixby. Samsung is positioning the S26 as a multi‑agent phone where assistants coexist and are invoked for different strengths. The company is also upgrading Bixby into a more conversational device agent, while Perplexity acts as a research‑and‑reasoning layer that can stitch actions together across apps.
Samsung cites internal insights showing that nearly eight in 10 users rely on more than two different AI agents today, choosing tools based on the task. That figure underscores why a routing layer matters: rather than forcing a single assistant to do everything, S26 leans into an open ecosystem where capabilities can overlap and complement one another.
System Integration, Privacy, and Performance
Samsung emphasizes that Galaxy AI operates at the framework and OS level, not just inside individual apps. That matters for latency, reliability, and privacy: low‑level hooks can reduce friction, while guardrails help ensure permissions are respected as agents pass context between apps.
Although the company hasn’t detailed every data pathway, it has historically leaned on on‑device processing for sensitive tasks and platform protections like Samsung Knox. Expect a hybrid approach where lightweight actions run locally and cloud queries handle heavy lifting, with transparent prompts for any cross‑app data use.
The experience will also draw on the S26’s upgraded AI compute. Modern NPUs have grown by multiples in TOPS over recent generations, enabling longer context windows, faster summarization, and better multimodal handling. That hardware headroom is what makes real‑time, cross‑app orchestration feel instantaneous rather than like a string of separate requests.
Availability And Supported Devices For Galaxy S26
For now, the Perplexity integration is confirmed for the Galaxy S26 series. Samsung says more information on supported devices will follow, hinting that recent flagships and other Galaxy categories could be tapped as the Galaxy AI framework evolves. Expect the rollout to combine firmware updates with server‑side switches and updates to the Perplexity client.
Why This Move Matters For Samsung’s Galaxy AI Strategy
The industry is shifting from voice assistants to true agents that plan, reason, and execute. Analyst firms such as Gartner have spotlighted AI agents as an emerging strategic trend, and platform players are racing to embed them deeply into everyday software. Google has been folding Gemini deeper into Android experiences, while other ecosystem vendors are opening doors to third‑party models inside system assistants.
Samsung’s approach is noteworthy because it treats AI as a substrate of the operating system and embraces a multi‑assistant reality rather than a walled garden. If Hey Plex delivers seamless, low‑friction workflows inside core apps—and if Samsung can extend coverage to popular third‑party tools—it could materially reduce the taps and cognitive overhead of mobile tasks.
The takeaway for Galaxy users is simple: on S26, asking one smart question should increasingly be enough. With Hey Plex operating at the system level and Bixby evolving in parallel, Samsung is betting that practical, orchestrated AI—not just flashy demos—will define the next wave of smartphone value.
