Tech Explained: Here’s a simplified explanation of the latest technology update around Tech Explained: Galaxy S26 series launch: Samsung partners with Perplexity but Google Gemini remains central to AI features in Simple Termsand what it means for users..
Samsung Galaxy S26 series has been launched and one of the most important announcements made at the Galaxy Unpacked event was the company’s partnership to bring Perplexity to its phones. Samsung Galaxy S26 series of smartphones will ship with Bixby, Perplexity and Gemini – giving users choice to use the AI of their liking. “AI must become part of our infrastructure. You should be able to enjoy its benefits through the devices you use every day,” said TM Roh, Samsung’s CEO of device experience, during a showcase held in San Francisco. “This is the agentic AI phone,” Roh added of the Galaxy S26.
Samsung Galaxy S26 arrive with broad set of AI features
Samsung announced that the latest phones offer a huge set of AI features that are built into the core experience, with Google Gemini playing a central role alongside Samsung’s own Bixby and a new partnership with AI search platform Perplexity. Together, these integrations are aimed at reducing the number of steps users need to take to get things done on their phones.
Gemini takes on everyday tasks
Google Gemini is the most deeply integrated third-party AI agent on the Galaxy S26 series. A long press of the side button opens Gemini, which can then handle multi-step tasks in the background while the user continues using the phone normally. Sameer Samat, President, Android Ecosystem at Google, said that the company is looking at next chapter of Android: evolving from an Operating System to an Intelligent System.As a preview of what’s coming to the next release of Android, we announced a new experience for the Galaxy S26 series: Android works with your AI assistant to navigate apps and get stuff done. Whether it’s helping you with your grocery order or navigating a delivery app, Gemini uses its multimodal reasoning to get the task done. It’s built with transparency and control, so you can watch Gemini take every step and pause at any time. Available to start on a limited set of apps – looking forward to your feedback!The S26 also brings:
Circle to Search : The next generation experience allows you to search multiple objects at once, like finding an entire outfit.- Scam Detection: Bringing Google’s advanced, on-device intelligence to the Samsung Phone app for proactive call protection.
- Android is where you see the future first, and there’s so much more to come.
How Gemini works behind the scenes on Samsung Galaxy S26
In its current beta form – available initially in the US and South Korea – Gemini can book a ride, reorder a meal, or build a grocery cart simply by being asked. Users can monitor progress through notifications and step in or stop a task at any point. Samsung and Google describe this as an early preview of a broader agentic AI experience, with more app categories to be supported over time.Google has also brought its Scam Detection feature to the Samsung Phone app on Galaxy S26 devices. Using an on-device Gemini model, the feature listens for signs of a potential scam during a live call and alerts the user with an audio and haptic notification.
Perplexity joins as an alternative agent
For the first time, Samsung has added Perplexity as an optional AI agent on the Galaxy S26 series. Users can set it up as their preferred agent for search and information tasks, completing queries with a single button press or voice prompt. Bixby, Now Brief and Circle to SearchSamsung’s own Bixby has been upgraded to understand natural language more reliably, allowing users to navigate the phone and adjust settings without needing to use exact commands. Samsung says that Now Brief has become more proactive, surfacing reminders for reservations, travel updates, and personal events throughout the day based on the user’s context. Furthermore, Circle to Search with Google has also been upgraded with multi-object recognition, allowing users to highlight multiple elements in an image at once and get search results for all of them in a single gesture.