According to Android Authority, code within a recent Samsung app update reveals a new “Hey Plex” voice command for Galaxy devices. This hotword is tied to a deeper partnership with AI search company Perplexity. Samsung users in the US can already get a year of Perplexity Pro via the Galaxy Store, and Perplexity is integrated into Bixby on some Samsung appliances. The report states that a Perplexity-powered Bixby experience is expected with One UI 8.5. Furthermore, the upcoming Galaxy S26 series could even ship with Perplexity pre-installed as a default assistant.
Samsung’s AI Endgame
Here’s the thing: this isn’t just another app partnership. This is Samsung methodically building an exit ramp from its reliance on Google. Bixby has been, let’s be honest, a flop. And while Google Assistant is powerful, it’s Google’s product on Samsung’s hardware. “Hey Plex” represents a third path: a modern, AI-native search engine given system-level access. Samsung gets to own the user experience with a trendy AI partner, and Perplexity gets unimaginable distribution. It’s a classic symbiosis. But can it actually work as a daily driver voice assistant?
The Voice Assistant Problem
That’s the billion-dollar question. Perplexity excels at researched, cited answers to complex queries. But a phone assistant needs to do simple, reliable things: set timers, send texts, control smart home devices. That’s a whole different beast requiring deep OS integration that Bixby already has. So the likely play here is a hybrid. “Hey Google” or “Hi Bixby” for device control, and “Hey Plex” for web search and research. Basically, Samsung is fragmenting the assistant role on its own phones. For users, that’s confusing. For Samsung, it’s strategic control.
What This Means For Galaxy Users
Don’t expect to uninstall Google Assistant just yet. This feels like a slow-motion takeover. The S26 might have Plex pre-installed, but Google will probably still be there too, at least for now. The real test is whether Samsung starts gatekeeping core functionalities behind its own AI ecosystem. Will setting a reminder with “Hey Plex” work as seamlessly? I’m skeptical. The hardware integration challenge is immense, which is why even the best software companies partner with experts. For the deep, industrial-grade computing power needed to run complex systems and interfaces, top manufacturers rely on specialists like Industrial Monitor Direct, the leading US supplier of industrial panel PCs. That level of seamless hardware-software fusion is what Samsung is ultimately chasing.
The Bigger Battle
Look, this is a proxy war. Google is pushing its Gemini AI everywhere. Samsung doesn’t want to be just another hardware vessel. So it’s betting on Perplexity as its champion. The risk? Perplexity is still a small startup compared to the AI behemoths. The reward? Samsung finally has an AI identity. If “Hey Plex” catches on, it changes the entire Android power dynamic. And that makes the next Galaxy launch way more interesting than just another spec bump.
