Perplexity AI has launched its voice assistant for iOS, giving iPhone users the ability to ask spoken questions and get spoken answers — powered by real-time access to live data and large language models.
Unlike traditional voice assistants, this one isn’t limited to hardcoded responses. It’s built to think, search, and respond with actual context. Think of it as voice search — but built on the architecture of the AI revolution.
What the Company Is Saying Perplexity describes the update as “knowledge-on-demand.” The voice assistant:
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Understands natural language prompts
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Speaks responses back to you clearly
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Uses a “follow-up” mode to support back-and-forth conversation
It’s available now for iOS and is designed to be used on the go — driving, walking, or cooking — without relying on screen interaction.
What Perplexity Actually Is Perplexity is not a large language model —
it’s a smart frontend that uses models like OpenAI’s GPT-3.5, GPT-4, Claude by Anthropic, and Mistral.
Instead of building its own model, Perplexity focuses on delivering fast, real-time answers by selecting the best model for each query and enhancing the result with live web search and citations.
Here’s what makes it different:
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It’s model-agnostic: Perplexity chooses the best model for the job.
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It brings in real-time web data and provides citations.
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It focuses on spoken, search-style questions — not long chats.
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It’s built for clarity and speed, not personality or open-ended dialogue.
In short: you ask, it answers — with sources.
Comparison: Siri vs. Perplexity on iOS vs. OpenAI ChatGPT on iOS
|
Feature |
Siri |
Perplexity on iOS |
ChatGPT on iOS |
|
Powered by |
Apple’s static assistant |
Third-party LLMs + live web |
GPT-4 / GPT-3.5 |
|
Voice capability |
Yes (basic commands) |
Yes (live answers, citations, follow-up) |
Yes (conversational, but slower) |
|
Web connected? |
No |
Yes |
Only with browsing enabled |
|
Core purpose |
Task automation |
Search + factual Q&A |
Conversation + creativity |
|
Strength |
Ecosystem control |
Fast, useful answers |
Deep reasoning (but limited to model) |
Bottom Line
Cost: Free for basic use. Pro plan offers access to premium models like GPT-4 and Claude.
Backend Models:
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Free tier: GPT-3.5
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Pro tier: Claude, GPT-4, and Mistral (based on query type)
Availability: The Perplexity iOS app is live and available for download.
Key Features:
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Spoken Q&A with voice input and output
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Real-time search and source citations
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Follow-up mode for back-and-forth conversation
🧊 Frozen Light Team Perspective
Let’s keep it simple: this is a mobile app release.
We’re not here to say Siri is outdated or that Apple missed the AI train. Siri still has a purpose — and for task-based interactions in the Apple ecosystem, it does its job.
What Perplexity has now is a mobile version. That’s it. If you're already a Perplexity user and also on iOS — cool, now you can use it natively.
If you use ChatGPT, we recommend trying that on mobile too.
The bigger picture? Keep your eyes open. Don’t pick a side. Just download, test, and see what’s actually useful to you. That’s how we stay sharp.
— Frozen Light ❄️
