Perplexity brings AI voice assistant to iOS app

Perplexity has updated a voice assistant to its iOS app, letting users perform tasks like writing emails, setting reminders, and making reservations.

The voice assistant works even when users switch apps, but unlike on Android, it lacks screen-sharing support and runs on older devices like the iPhone 13 mini.

This update comes after previous delays related to obtaining necessary permissions from Apple.

Users must grant permissions for specific tasks, such as accessing reminders or contacts.

For instance, they can set reminders or send text messages by providing the required permissions or entering phone numbers directly.

The iOS version has limitations, such as no camera access or alarm setting, though users can still chat with the text-based assistant for image-related questions.

🔗 Source: The Verge

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Voice assistants’ six-decade evolution reaches new milestone

Perplexity’s iOS assistant represents the latest chapter in a remarkably long technological journey that began in 1961 with IBM’s Shoebox, the first digital speech recognition tool that could understand just 16 words and 9 digits 1.

The path to today’s sophisticated voice assistants was marked by key innovations like Dragon Dictate in 1990 (priced at $9,000) and Dragon NaturallySpeaking in 1997, which first enabled continuous speech recognition at 100 words per minute 1.

Apple’s 2011 launch of Siri marked the first mainstream consumer voice assistant, followed by Amazon’s Alexa (2014), which expanded voice technology into home environments 2.

The evolution from simple command recognition to contextual understanding represents a fundamental shift in human-computer interaction, with each generation solving limitations of previous technologies.

Perplexity’s ability to handle complex tasks like restaurant bookings continues this progression toward more capable assistants that can maintain conversation context while accomplishing real-world tasks.

2️⃣ Growing competition reshapes voice assistant market dynamics

Perplexity’s entry into the iOS ecosystem signals intensifying competition in the voice assistant market, which reached $5.4 billion in 2024 with a projected growth rate of 25% 3.