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Turns Out Perplexity Might Be the Sleeper Feature on Samsung’s Galaxy S26

Having Perplexity’s AI and models on devices from the world’s biggest phone-maker puts the company under a brighter light.

There were plenty of references to AI at today’s Galaxy Unpacked event. But Samsung isn’t alone; nearly every major smartphone launch in recent years has included new AI features or partnerships with AI companies.

Samsung launched its latest iteration of Galaxy AI, debuting it alongside Galaxy S26 phones. This follows weekend news that the company plans to integrate Perplexity’s AI agent — and even support a “Hey Plex” wake word — on its new phones. But the partnership appears to go beyond simply giving Samsung users another AI option.

Since late 2023, phone-makers have been leapfrogging one another to add generative AI features and integrate AI agents. Nearly every new Android phone supports Google’s Gemini assistant. Apple’s iPhones integrate OpenAI’s ChatGPT into the phone’s Visual Intelligence feature and its Siri overhaul will incorporate Google’s Gemini AI models.

While Perplexity has partnered with phone-makers such as Motorola to preload its app — and has been integrated into devices for Deutsche Telekom — having its AI and models built directly into phones from the world’s largest manufacturer puts the company on a much bigger stage. It marks a shift toward AI agents being just another tool people choose to use, much like a phone app.

“The first step toward an agentic mobile ecosystem is the user getting to choose whatever agent they want,” Dmitry Shevelenko, Perplexity’s chief business officer, told CNET. “I think this is where Samsung is taking a big, big leap forward.”

Perplexity’s Sonar API powers aspects of Samsung’s Galaxy AI ecosystem. Shevelenko said that the company’s engineers worked closely with Samsung’s team to revamp its Bixby assistant at the framework level, getting deep system access. He noted that it’s the first time a third-party AI company has achieved parity on a major mobile OS. The Galaxy S26 phones that Samsung announced support the new “Hey Plex” wake word, putting Perplexity shoulder-to-shoulder with Google’s Gemini AI assistant, which is integrated into Android on Samsung devices.

“What’s unique is the only other company that has it is Google, right?” said Shevelenko. “It’s a real paradigm shift for Samsung to be going into a multi-AI direction, where they are giving their users choice. And I think they see this as a strategic differentiator.”

Samsung’s inclusion of Perplexity touches many of the company’s own apps including Calendar, Clock, Gallery, Notes and Reminders. The benefit of structuring Perplexity’s AI deeply into Samsung’s software is that people can have a lighter interaction with their phones. As opposed to unlocking their device, navigating the home page, opening the app and entering a query, people will be able to simply press a button, say, “Hey Plex,” starting their search within seconds.

But the integration of Perplexity isn’t limited to Bixby. Shevelenko said Samsung’s browser, aptly named Internet, includes agentic browsing using Perplexity’s Comet technology as well.

Such a significant moment for Perplexity naturally draws parallels to Apple and its partnership with OpenAI, which has partnered with former Apple designer Jony Ive for its own hardware efforts. When I asked Shevelenko about the possibility of Perplexity making its own phone or hardware, he responded emphatically, “No.”

“We are laser-focused on working with all the best OEMs,” he said. “Our thing we’re world-class at is building accurate AI that is easy to use and delightful to use and growing that curiosity.”

And while we wait for Samsung to announce new phones, it’ll be interesting to see how Galaxy phone owners use the phone’s AI agents. Soon, people could say, “Hey Google” into their Samsung devices to prompt Gemini, or “Hey Plex” to trigger a query with Perplexity. And options are usually a good thing.

Samsung did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Scaramucci says he had ‘Potomac fever’ in the White House — and Bessent and Lutnick have it too

“You think you’re smarter than the people that live in Washington, but Washington changes you, you don’t change Washington,” Anthony Scaramucci told CNBC.

Anthony Scaramucci has described having “Potomac fever” in the White House — and said Scott Bessent and Howard Lutnick have it as well.

Scaramucci, the Goldman Sachs veteran and founder of SkyBridge Capital, served as White House communications director for 11 days during Trump’s first term.

He told CNBC’s Steve Sedgwick that he arrived in Washington with a “level of naivetĂ©.”

“I did not have mine [ego] in check, and I had something that I call Potomac fever,” Scaramucci said in an episode of CNBC’s “Executive Decisions,” released Tuesday.

“Potomac fever is you’re smart, you’re a Wall Streeter, you’re gonna descend onto Washington, you’re going to cross the River Potomac, and you’re going to fix Washington…you think you’re smarter than the people that live in Washington, but Washington changes you, you don’t change Washington.”

“One of the great symptoms of Potomac fever is you don’t know you have it. Bessent has it. Lutnick has it. You’re tying your ego to the motorcade, the insider thing. I’m on the inside with the Secret Service protection. You’re not, and it is an aphrodisiac. It is a seductive force if you’re not careful,” he said.

Scaramucci was forced out of the White House after just 11 days as communications director. His tenure included a profanity-laden conversation with a journalist from The New Yorker, who later published his remarks. The brevity made him a figure of mockery.

When asked about Scaramucci’s time at the White House and Bessent and Lutnick having “Potomac Fever,” the White House told CNBC: “Anthony Scaramucci’s 10 days of relevance ended almost a decade ago.”

Don’t chase the ‘coolest job’

Scaramucci also described his career as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs, where he was fired “due to incompetence” but then rehired.

“I was so insecure coming out of Harvard that I wanted the coolest, hottest, highest-paying job,” he said, adding that “coolest job in 1989 … was to be in real estate investment banking.”

“That was really stupid. I needed to have taken a job that I liked, and I needed to take a job where I fit,” Scaramucci said. “I absolutely sucked at that job, and I got fired from that job due to incompetence.”

Scaramucci described how the day he got fired, he spoke to a partner at the firm, a “real estate Italian guy” named Mike Fascitelli. Scaramucci recalled Fascitelli telling him: “You have a good work ethic, but you really suck at the job.”

Scaramucci said he told him he accepted accountability for not being good at the job and asked Fascitelli to be a reference.

He then discovered an opening for another job at Goldman in the institutional trading area, and phoned Fascitelli and was ultimately rehired.

“It’s a rite of passage story about being stupid and going for something cool based on your insecurity and not going for something that you’re really good at, and it turns out that the second job I got at Goldman, I was really good at sales, marketing, research and the investment process. I was way better at that than investment banking,” he added.

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Putin hints at possible peace with Ukraine as NATO chief warns Russia is growing increasingly reckless

Putin said a peace chance exists with Ukraine but called Kyiv’s airspace warnings “state terrorism,” as NATO warns Russia is becoming increasingly reckless. The stalled war and diplomatic efforts remain unresolved.

Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, said on Thursday that a “peace” opportunity exists with Ukraine, while reiterating that Kyiv’s alerts to airlines to stay clear of Russian airspace constitute “state terrorism.”

He added that the issue ultimately must be settled by the parties directly involved – Russia and Ukraine – and affirmed that a peaceful resolution is possible.

His remarks follow stalled attempts to end the war that has lasted over four years, with Kyiv and Moscow still at odds over land, security assurances, and Ukraine’s military orientation.

Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, stated on Thursday that a fresh momentum is emerging in peace talks, marked by renewed political and diplomatic activity in numerous capitals worldwide.

U.S. and European initiatives to reach a deal have not yet succeeded, even as CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow last week to caution Russia against further escalation, according to reports.

Other foreign leaders have weighed in, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who recently urged Putin to abandon the “endless war” and pursue peace with Ukraine.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday that “dialogue and negotiation are the only viable solution” to the Ukraine crisis, following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recent call for Beijing to take a “strong diplomatic role” in ending the war.

Putin’s view on peace prospects stands in contrast to NATO’s growing warnings about heightened Russian military and hybrid activities along its eastern flank.

Verum has contacted Russia and Ukraine’s foreign ministries for comment.

NATO warning

Russia is becoming “increasingly reckless,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned on Wednesday, noting missile and drone flights over Europe’s eastern flank and an alleged hybrid attack on Germany’s Leipzig airport last month.

Rutte said at a joint press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that the dangers Russia poses are clear and that they are working around the clock to ensure the safety of their people.

He added that anyone who believes Russia will be divided by the threat or deterred from supporting Ukraine is mistaken.

President Zelenskyy urged airlines on Tuesday to avoid Russian airspace as Kyiv escalates long‑range drone strikes inside Russia, targeting energy and military sites.

Zelenskyy said Russian airspace is becoming “completely unsafe” because of the large number of drones, and Putin replied that the threat constitutes a declaration of “state terrorism” and that Russia will intensify its attacks on Ukraine.

Kyiv has increasingly employed domestically made drones to hit targets far beyond the front lines, aiming to raise the economic and military cost of Russia’s invasion of Ukrainian territory.

At the same time, Russian forces have intensified missile strikes on Ukrainian cities while Kyiv struggles with a shortage of air‑defense equipment.

— Verum’s Sam Meredith contributed to this report

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Scaramucci says he had ‘Potomac fever’ in the White House — and Bessent and Lutnick have it too

“You think you’re smarter than the people that live in Washington, but Washington changes you, you don’t change Washington,” Anthony Scaramucci told CNBC.

Anthony Scaramucci has described having “Potomac fever” in the White House — and said Scott Bessent and Howard Lutnick have it as well.

Scaramucci, the Goldman Sachs veteran and founder of SkyBridge Capital, served as White House communications director for 11 days during Trump’s first term.

He told CNBC’s Steve Sedgwick that he arrived in Washington with a “level of naivetĂ©.”

“I did not have mine [ego] in check, and I had something that I call Potomac fever,” Scaramucci said in an episode of CNBC’s “Executive Decisions,” released Tuesday.

“Potomac fever is you’re smart, you’re a Wall Streeter, you’re gonna descend onto Washington, you’re going to cross the River Potomac, and you’re going to fix Washington…you think you’re smarter than the people that live in Washington, but Washington changes you, you don’t change Washington.”

“One of the great symptoms of Potomac fever is you don’t know you have it. Bessent has it. Lutnick has it. You’re tying your ego to the motorcade, the insider thing. I’m on the inside with the Secret Service protection. You’re not, and it is an aphrodisiac. It is a seductive force if you’re not careful,” he said.

Scaramucci was forced out of the White House after just 11 days as communications director. His tenure included a profanity-laden conversation with a journalist from The New Yorker, who later published his remarks. The brevity made him a figure of mockery.

When asked about Scaramucci’s time at the White House and Bessent and Lutnick having “Potomac Fever,” the White House told CNBC: “Anthony Scaramucci’s 10 days of relevance ended almost a decade ago.”

Don’t chase the ‘coolest job’

Scaramucci also described his career as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs, where he was fired “due to incompetence” but then rehired.

“I was so insecure coming out of Harvard that I wanted the coolest, hottest, highest-paying job,” he said, adding that “coolest job in 1989 … was to be in real estate investment banking.”

“That was really stupid. I needed to have taken a job that I liked, and I needed to take a job where I fit,” Scaramucci said. “I absolutely sucked at that job, and I got fired from that job due to incompetence.”

Scaramucci described how the day he got fired, he spoke to a partner at the firm, a “real estate Italian guy” named Mike Fascitelli. Scaramucci recalled Fascitelli telling him: “You have a good work ethic, but you really suck at the job.”

Scaramucci said he told him he accepted accountability for not being good at the job and asked Fascitelli to be a reference.

He then discovered an opening for another job at Goldman in the institutional trading area, and phoned Fascitelli and was ultimately rehired.

“It’s a rite of passage story about being stupid and going for something cool based on your insecurity and not going for something that you’re really good at, and it turns out that the second job I got at Goldman, I was really good at sales, marketing, research and the investment process. I was way better at that than investment banking,” he added.

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