“Hey Siri, can you book a table for four at Blue Tokai coffee shop in New Friends Colony for 7 PM?”
“Would you like me to use ChatGPT to help with that?”
This was my recent interaction with Siri. I tried again, but Apple’s assistant only provided directions to unrelated places like a furniture store and a dessert shop.
none of these responses met my request.Frustrated, I turned to the Perplexity app and repeated the same command. It quickly opened a web preview with all the reservation details filled in, allowing me to confirm the booking effortlessly.
The Perplexity iOS Voice Assistant not only understood my needs accurately but also handled all necessary web searches and actions seamlessly.The results were impressive, especially when compared to Siri's performance.
Introducing Perplexity Assistant
The Perplexity Assistant is relatively new among AI helpers like Google’s Gemini or OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Launched in January 2025 for Android users and available on iPhones as april, it has gained popularity quickly.
While not from a major tech company, its AI engine has attracted many fans due to its innovative features such as Deep Research, Spaces, and Pages.
A standout feature of Perplexity is its knowledge engine. It provides detailed answers similar to chatbots but includes reliable sources along with follow-up questions. I didn’t expect it would outperform Siri in practical tasks typically expected from advanced AI assistants.
Siri vs. Perplexity: A Surprising Outcome
I was shocked when Perplexity performed better than Siri within Apple’s ecosystem. When I asked Siri to play “The Caution's The à la menthe,” it claimed it couldn’t find the song on Apple Music.
Despite mispronouncing the title,Perplexity understood my request perfectly and started playing the track from apple Music within seconds—all without leaving its app.
Siri often struggles with simple requests too. For example, when I asked for a good coffee shop where I could work quietly, it coldly replied that it needed ChatGPT's help instead of providing an answer itself.
In contrast, when using Perplexity Assistant for this question, it opened an overview on Apple Maps showing several nearby options while citing various sources including Reddit threads and popular dining apps—providing trustworthy recommendations rather than generic suggestions.
Adept at Interacting with Other Apps
A key advantage of the Perplexity iOS Voice Assistant is its ability to perform tasks across different applications—both Apple's own apps and third-party ones—with greater efficiency than Siri does.
I asked Siri about a video featuring YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim discussing early platform days; however, it failed miserably by suggesting offloading my query again instead of finding what I wanted directly.
(continued).... . . .. .
When using Perplexity Assistant for this same inquiry,<|vq_12345|>,<|vq_12345|>,<|vq_12345|>,<|vq_12345|,
it launched YouTube within an in-app preview window immediately starting playback without any issues related
to pronunciation or spelling errors.
Perplexity can manage cross-app tasks effectively even though its capabilities are still growing.
Currently supported platforms include Mail,
Apple Podcast,
YouTube,
Apple Music,
Calendar,
Reminders,
maps,
Uber,
and OpenTable.
For instance,Siri struggled when asked about booking transportation
to Delhi airport; instead,sought transit directions leading nowhere useful.
On another hand,,Perplextiy launched Uber directly filling out source/destination fields landing me right onto booking page.
I anticipated more frustration so next requested assistance composing email informing editor regarding assignment;
Siri merely copied voice command verbatim asking which app should be used (mail/Teams/Messages).
I use Mail! Everyone does!
conversely,,when requesting same task viaPlexitiy,iAssistant drafted formal message ready-to-send through Mail interface requiring just one tap.
Another area wherePlexitiy excels overSiri involves knowledge search queries;
for example:I sought launch date Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge receiving accurate response alongside latest sourced facts.<
Siri couldn’t provide direct answer either; first asking if query could be sent off ChatGPT then redirecting user towards browser page if chatbot wasn’t installed causing unneeded hassle overall.Setting event alerts proved easier too via Plexitiy compared against traditional methods employed bySiri making former feel outdated amidst modern advancements seen today.<
Reports suggest ongoing challenges faced bySiris won’t resolve soon although potential improvements may arise during WWDC 2025 scheduled June announcement period ahead.<
Simultaneously occurring rapid progress made by Plexitiy remains impressive overall! Personally speaking,I don’t envision returning back towards using traditional methods anytime soon preferring daily reliance upon
