Andy Walker / Android Authority

TL;DR

• Bixby could be getting a real AI upgrade in One UI 8.5 by handing complex questions to Perplexity AI.
• We now have our first visual proof that Perplexity AI is Bixby’s new brain.
• A new Bixby Live interface hints at real-time AI conversations, mirroring Gemini Live capabilities.

Samsung’s Bixby has spent the better part of the decade being the assistant we love to disable, but the new One UI 8.5 update could make that decision harder. Rather than competing directly with Google Gemini, Samsung is reportedly following Apple’s lead by bringing in stronger AI support. We now have a detailed look at how Perplexity AI will supercharge Bixby to handle more complex tasks.

Leaker @GalaxyTechie shared plenty of screenshots on X showing an early version of One UI 8.5 (via SamMobile). In these images, Bixby sends complex questions to Perplexity instead of using its own limited knowledge. The responses look more like well-researched answers, complete with citations.

Bixby has always been reliable for basic phone controls like toggling Wi-Fi, setting alarms, or changing settings. But when it came to answering real questions, it struggled. This weakness has become clearer as other AI assistants have grown into research tools and conversation partners.

The update could go beyond just search. One UI 8.5 may also bring a Bixby Live interface that looks a lot like Gemini Live, featuring a floating text box and a blue-purple gradient glow.

Recently, Android Authority found code in Perplexity’s latest v2.69.3 app that hints at a “Hey Plex” hotword trigger. This would let users activate Perplexity much like they do with Gemini.

There’s also evidence that Samsung wants Bixby to do more than just answer questions. One UI 8.5 is said to support deeper third-party integrations, so Bixby can work better with apps like Uber, HERE Maps, and The Weather Channel. With potential features like follow-up conversations and camera or screen-based queries, Bixby is highly likely to become more like a modern assistant than just a voice shortcut.

Interestingly, the Chinese version of Bixby is reportedly even more powerful, utilizing models like DeepSeek to handle multimodal tasks, like sharing your camera feed or screen to solve complex problems in real-time.

For longtime Galaxy users who gave up on Bixby years ago, this update suggests something new: a version of Bixby that’s finally worth having a real conversation with.

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