Apple gives green light to AI-powered browsing: Comet for iPhone launches to take over your online busywork
Arkadiy Andrienko
Perplexity has officially launched the mobile version of its Comet browser for iPhone. The App Store release came with a slight delay: the launch was originally planned for March 11th, but for technical reasons, the date was pushed back exactly one week.
Unlike standard browsers that just display web pages, Comet positions itself as a tool designed to take over some of the user's routine tasks. The core idea behind the app is to combine conventional web surfing with the capabilities of an AI assistant directly in the browser window, eliminating the need to switch between tabs and third-party apps. The standout feature of the mobile version is its deep integration of voice control. Users can ask questions without interrupting their browsing session, and the browser analyzes open tabs to provide context about what's on the screen or find additional information online.
Key features available in the iOS version include:
- For simple queries (like weather, game scores, or the nearest coffee shop), Comet uses standard search results. If a question is complex and requires analysis, it taps into Perplexity's AI engine to generate a detailed response with source links.
- The browser can create summaries of long articles or documents and extract key points from YouTube videos.
- The AI assistant can not only search for information but also attempt to perform simple tasks: for example, finding details about a contact in your calendar, scanning their LinkedIn profile, and preparing a list of questions for a meeting.
- A built-in system-wide blocker is integrated into the browser to speed up page loading and declutter the screen.
Google is set as the default search engine in Comet, but users can change this in the settings or query Perplexity's knowledge base directly. The developers have enabled cross-device synchronization, allowing users to seamlessly transfer search history and open tabs from their desktop (versions for Mac, Android, and Windows were released earlier) to their iPhone and pick up right where they left off.
The launch of the mobile browser expands the Perplexity ecosystem. Previously, the company also announced the development of a Personal Computer agent designed to run locally on Mac minis, automating tasks at the operating system level. Comet, for now, remains a tool focused on the web environment.
Are you ready to fully switch to a browser with a built-in AI for your daily tasks, or is classic web surfing without 'digital assistants' more your style? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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