Apple is Considering a Perplexity Purchase. What Would that Mean?

Full disclosure: Not an Apple user. I admire the vision even if the price points typically keep me at home. I have very much appreciated their leadership in the data privacy and security space. I am a paying Perplexity customer: even used it for a little research with this article.

If you’re up to date on what’s happening in the world of AI buying and building, congratulations: you must be exhausted. Even working with some of these brands on a weekly basis isn’t enough to keep me informed on every new release or relationship. As I said before, you need a specially trained AI just to keep up with all the developments.

But when the big players talk people listen, and in this case it’s rumours that Apple is interested in buying AI giant Perplexity. While the idea has certainly been cooking in SV imaginations for some time, the first many heard of it was during the DOJ’s antitrust case against Google.

Apple is in unfamiliar leadership territory

Even in a stream of steady announcements and innovations, this story stands out. Apple has been approaching AI very cautiously, partially due to their intense focus on user privacy. But anybody who understands the abiding ecosystem-scale vision that drives the Apple roadmap.

The lack of an AI future leaves very big, very obvious hole in those plans.

Of course, Apple isn’t the only one trying to elbow their way to the front of the AI race. In addition to Google and Meta, new contenders like OpenAI and others are all vying for leadership in this unfolding AI moment. Every week feels like a year, as these companies battle over key talent and market opportunities.

The rapid integration of Google’s AI products into its own ecosystems is probably also driving worry, especially as the much-discussed “Apple Intelligence” platform continues to drag. One thing about Apple and its users, they definitely don’t like to feel like they’re falling behind.

And, beyond whatever it means for that big vision, Apple has several products/platforms at an inflection point. How, when, and why AI comes into the ecosystem impacts their futures as well. So, it’s one of those acquisitions that’s got both strategic/vibe implications as well as tangible product impact.

What would/could Perplexity do for Siri?

Siri is a household name – but so was Toys R Us. Could Perplexity help her make her next career move?

Will start this with a medium-warm take: stop saying the future of everything is voice.

I understand why tech enthusiasts say it – they want new ways catch fire. And Apple has been a pioneer in voice since Siri debuted in 2011. While the fortunes of voice as a mode have risen and fallen, Apple has stayed out front.

But it’s a relatively weak wave. While my favorite ridiculous voice prediction turned out to be an urban legend, it’s consistently been a space which analysts and product builders seem to overestimate every single time they talk about the future. In 2025, barely 1 in 5 use it daily, and over half still never have.

That said, voice is still super huge in niches, and you’re still getting fewer than 1 in 5 users doing it daily. But we’ve seen AI drive other strange adoption habits, so maybe there’s something unexpected waiting around how voice and AI come together.

Could Siri help us have better ‘conversations’ with AI applications?

The success of LLMs is due to the conversational interface. Would this extend to voice with closer Siri-Perplexity integration? This doesn’t feel especially compelling, especially given the frequency of complaints about Siri’s reliability and responsiveness. In fact, there’s a trend of Siri users leaving it behind for Perplexity in general.

Could Siri be a better way to access AI inside the iOS and across its apps?

Integrating Perplexity’s AI into iOS would empower more features with its advanced intelligence. Siri could offer smarter reminders, context-aware messaging, and real-time information in Calendar, Mail, and Maps. This is a better use case but also reminds us this how it should be easier to do natively. Adding Perplexity here is less about knowledge then automation.

Ultimately, I still feel like voice will never be the primary modality for most users, but I’m always willing to be surprised by how technology gets evolved and adapted. That said, if any of the current FAANG giants are going to lead in voice, Apple might again see an opportunity to regain the pioneer status that powered the brand for so long.

This also means that Siri will win or lose on her own merits, and AI alone can’t save her. She shouldn’t take it too hard, Amazon has found similar struggles expanding Alexa beyond core consumer use cases, and that AI integration isn’t going much smoother. This isn’t just about AI, but getting the balance of software, services, and modalities just right.

What would/could Perplexity do for Safari?

Safari is only the world’s 2^nd most popular browser after Chrome, but I suspect this doesn’t bother Apple people too much, especially since they’re way ahead of the rest of the list. But users love it, especially its tight ecosystem integration and strong privacy features.

So how exactly could Perplexity help? It’s an LLM and website, not a browser. If Apple buys it, what does this mean to Safari and its users?

Breaking Free from Google’s Grip

Let’s face it: Apple users are used to a tightly controlled, privacy-first experience, but when it comes to search, Google still owns the default. If Apple were to bring Perplexity into Safari, it’s not just about swapping one search box for another. It’s about finally giving users a real alternative built around transparency, privacy, and a little less dependence on Google’s ecosystem.

Perplexity’s AI-driven answers, complete with citations, mean users can get straight to what they need without wading through pages of blue links. For Apple, this isn’t just a product tweak; it’s a strategic move to keep more of the experience (and the data) in-house, and maybe even shift the balance of power in search.

Smarter, More Productive Browsing

Safari has always been about a smooth, integrated experience for Apple fans. Adding Perplexity’s AI isn’t about chasing the latest tech trends but making research and exploration genuinely easier. Imagine getting instant, context-aware answers that actually understand what you’re asking, or summaries that help you cut through the noise without leaving your browser.

Features like Pro Search and threaded conversations aren’t just bells and whistles. They’re the kind of practical upgrades that make Safari a more powerful tool for students, professionals, and anyone who’s tired of doing all the heavy lifting themselves. It’s about helping users get smarter, more useful results with less friction.

Personalized, Transparent User Experience

Apple’s reputation is built on trust, and Perplexity fits right into that story. Every answer is sourced, every result is tailored, and the AI gets better the more you use it. This isn’t about mining user data for ad dollars, but making the web feel more personal and reliable, one search at a time.

Seamless integration means users aren’t forced to adapt to a new workflow. Whether you’re typing or talking, on a Mac or an iPhone, Perplexity’s AI aims to make the experience feel like a natural extension of the Apple ecosystem. It’s less about chasing the next big thing, and more about getting the basics right—privacy, clarity, and a little less frustration.

When build vs. buy feels existential

At the bottom of this, it’s very easy to frame this as Apple’s bold entry into the AI moment, except it’s 2025 and that moment is already years old. No matter how I look at it, a Perplexity purchase would be a defensive move, designed not to move Apple’s vision forward, but simply prevent them from falling further behind.

Companies looking to innovate have two paths – build the capabilities in-house or buy some people who have cracked the code you’re trying to solve. In this case, the purchase of Perplexity gives Apple that ‘foundational model’ around which it can transform the rest of the ecosystem for the AI era.

But Apple typically chooses build over buy. Most of their acquisitions in the past (not including Beats) were for products and services that could easily be folded into the existing ecosystem. Perplexity is both a trusted brand and a finished product, with slightly more complexity than premium headphones.

In a world where products move so fast, it feels like a shortcut for a company used to mostly controlling absolutely everything about that user experience, which you can really only do if you build from scratch yourself. Of course, that’s easy for me to say, and we know building a vision is a lot easier than building a platform.

Hot off the presses

One last note on that war for talent. As I was finishing this article, another big AI hiring announcement was made, as Meta successfully plucked one of Apple’s biggest AI names for their own efforts. You almost have to feel sorry for the teams at Cupertino. Like Apple users, they’re not a group used to coming in 2^nd.