Perplexity Brings Its Voice-Based AI Assistant To iOS, Becoming The Siri Apple Failed To Deliver

Business isn’t merely about survival—it’s a game of staying ahead.

To lead the pack, companies must constantly sharpen their offerings, deeply understand their audience, and remain poised—like a panther in the shadows—ready to pounce when rivals show the slightest vulnerability. That’s when the boldest moves are made, and the smartest players rise.

This time, it’s Perplexity—the underdog—facing off against Apple, the mighty tech behemoth.

In the event where Apple is lagging behind in the Large Language Models department, and during the time its Apple Intelligence is met with poor reviews and compatibility issue with older iPhones, Perplexity stepped in.

Known for reinventing internet search with AI, the company updated its iOS app to introduce its voice assistant feature to the Apple ecosystem.

Just as Siri, once a pioneering digital assistant, is failing to catch up to the trend set up by OpenAI following the introduction of ChatGPT, Perplexity tries to fill the seemingly apparent void by bringing its own take of AI magic.

Much like Siri, Perplexity’s voice assistant can handle everyday tasks, including:

• Set reminders.
• Schedule calendar events.
• Play songs from Apple Music.
• Launch your favorite podcast.
• Provide directions via Apple Maps.

Simply ask, and Perplexity will connect with the right app, execute the task, and present the results without fuss nor friction.

Need to check a schedule? Users can just ask, and have Perplexity scan their calendar, to then then both display and speak upcoming appointments. Want set a reminder? Users can just tell Perplexity, and that reminder will be added automatically to Apple’s Reminders. Need directions? Asking Perplexity will have the AI provide a mapped route and a direct link to open it in Apple Maps with turn-by-turn guidance.

But it doesn’t stop there.

Perplexity can also draft emails, send calendar invites, and book a ride-hailing service on users' behalf.

But before Perplexity can do this, by Apple's rules, the app needs to ask users for the appropriate permissions, including access to system-level functions—like calendar, contacts, or reminders.

After that, Perplexity can literally act like Siri.

But unlike Siri, Perplexity's AI is powered by LLM, which means that users can interrupt it mid-sentence, ask follow-up questions, and have an engaging conversation.

Long story short, Perplexity brings its voice assistant to iOS, and make it capable of moving beyond the app itself.

To use this feature, users can find it within the Perplexity iOS app, within the search bar at the bottom of the screen next to "Ask anything."

​Apple is falling behind in the AI race. Despite launching Apple Intelligence in 2024, delays and lackluster features have drawn criticism, especially as Google and Microsoft pull ahead.

Much of Apple’s promised AI—like ChatGPT integration and smarter Siri—remains unavailable. The misleading "available now" claim was pulled after regulatory pressure.

Inside, the company faces leadership issues and talent loss. Engineers have even dubbed Siri’s dev team “AIMLess,” highlighting internal frustration.

Apple’s own research shows its LLMs struggle with logic and reasoning—key areas where rivals excel. And while Apple’s strict privacy stance wins points, it limits the data needed to train powerful models.

Bottom line? Apple’s cautious approach and internal setbacks have left it trailing.

This is where Perplexity is trying to get its market share by entering the Apple ecosystem, and becoming a 'better' Siri.