Perplexity’s CEO, Aravind Srinivas, has openly praised Google for what it does best – a better quick web search experience. In a social media post that details the availability of the Comet browser on iOS, Srinivas took the opportunity to explain why the browser defaults to Google for search, even as Perplexity powers its own AI assistant.
In a detailed thread on X (formerly Twitter), Srinivas explained the decision behind Comet’s search engine setup, which defaults to Google Search instead of Perplexity’s AI assistant – a different trait from the desktop version of the browser.
“Google is the default search engine on Comet iOS (unlike on Comet desktop),” Srinivas wrote. “Most mobile browser searches are around navigating to restaurant or local shops, checking scores, shopping, hotels. Google does a much better job here than anyone else in the world, including Perplexity,” he added.
Srinivas makes it clear that the choice to go with Google Search is intentional and user-focused. Google’s advantage in quick navigational queries is unparalleled due to its vast vertical coverage and speed – something which Perplexity’s AI assistant can’t do as nicely.
Google Search for quick searches, Comet Assistant for deep questions
Despite defaulting to Google Search, Srinivas highlighted that Perplexity is far from sidelined in the mobile version of the Comet browser. The browser’s built-in Comet Assistant remains active at all times, ready to intervene on Google search result pages or any webpage.
“The experience focuses more on things you would want that a navigational output doesn’t cater to,” he wrote. “And quick fast voice mode access to ask questions.”
According to Srinivas, the hybrid model of Google Search and Comet Assistant delivers “the best of both worlds”. Users can take advantage of Google’s lightning-fast navigational prowess and breadth of local/vertical results, while Perplexity’s superior answer quality and multimodal capabilities come in handy for deep searches.
Comet on iOS comes with premium features
Srinivas went on to praise Comet’s technical execution on iOS, even though the browser is built on Chromium – the same base code as Google Chrome.
“Even though Comet is still built on top of Chromium, the UI and interactions are all native, including the Perplexity threads on Comet. Which makes it a Safari-grade browser,” he noted. Additional standout features of the Comet browser include native ad blocking and background video playback, which Srinivas claims to make Comet “an iOS browser that’s unmatched by any right now.”
Comet’s launch on mobile platforms has been highly anticipated after the desktop versions’ launch last year. Comet is a full-featured web browser that integrates Perplexity’s AI search directly into the browsing experience. With Google as the default search engine for everyday mobile searches and Perplexity’s AI assistant sitting on top, Perplexity appears to be positioning Comet as a smarter, more helpful alternative to Safari and Chrome on iPhone. This development also acknowledges that Perplexity can’t replace Google entirely, at least for now.