If you've ever asked Siri a question and gotten a half-hearted, "Here's what I found on the web," you know the limits of Apple's built-in assistant. But there's a new AI app on the block that's trying to do better, and that's Perplexity AI.
Perplexity is available as a mobile app, and doesn't just fetch answers; it explains them, cites sources and even keeps up with follow up questions.
What's the difference?
I asked the AI assistant to explain how it compares to Siri, and here's what it said:
"First, I can perform a broader range of actions, like searching the web for up-to-date information, playing YouTube videos, and handling detailed bookings for things like restaurant reservations or rides.
"Second, I can communicate with the iOS Calendar and Reminders, as well as send emails directly.
"Finally, I also have capabilities for interacting with contacts and mapping apps, while Siri has a tighter integration with system-wide controls."
After establishing how it sets itself apart, I was already impressed by how human-like it sounded in its conversational style and tone.
Weather forecast
After asking the Assistant for today's weather forecast, here's how it responded:
"I've checked the current weather for [my city]. It's breezy with periods of rain, and tonight will be cloudy with a bit of rain. The temperature is around 11°C during the day and drops to about 9°C at night.
"The weather will feel cooler than it did on Friday, and there might be gusty winds and scattered showers, possibly with thunder. Later in the night, the weather should clear up, and it'll become cooler as the winds drop. Would you like any more details or help with anything else?"
Siri, by comparison, said "Looks like rain today," noted the temperature highs and lows, and displayed a banner visual illustrating the same information.
It's immediately clear that the former is more conversational, intuitive and friendly. Without a follow up, it also highlighted the forecast for the night. No visuals, but I definitely received a more detailed outlook with Perplexity AI.
News summary
When asking the AI for today's news headlines in the UK, I was impressed that it gathered enough information across multiple news sources to provide an accurate summary.
It also displayed the news sources in an logo bubble at the top of the answer, along with citing each source at the end of each paragraph out loud.
My chosen voice assistant knows where to land key words for impact, and how to vary its intonation, to deliver the information in a more humanised style.
Upcoming film releases
Having asked Perplexity AI for November's upcoming film releases in the UK, it provided a concise summary of November's film slate, including specific dates for their respective films.
Siri, meanwhile, responded "I found this on the web," and provided three links with the relevant information. Two were direct links to cinema websites, while the other was a list on IMDb.
Without having to navigate away from my assistant, Perplexity AI nailed search results and provided all the information I needed in a single moment. By comparison, if I was away from my iPhone and asked Siri the same, I would have had to pick up my device, click the links provided and then search the information myself.
For spoken results, it's clear Perplexity AI is more efficient.
Play a song
This function only works if you are an Apple Music subscriber. Unfortunately, because I am a Spotify user, Perplexity AI could not play my requested song.
As it is linked directly with Apple Music, it would have connected my request to the iOS app. When asked to play a video instead, it encountered multiple errors "while retrieving the video."
Siri, meanwhile, played my request via Spotify. So unless you're an Apple Music subscriber, this had limitations.
Recipe suggestions
When asking for a vegetarian dinner suggestion, Perplexity AI returned with one recipe idea, but was efficient in providing a breakdown on its cooking instructions.
If you're already out doing a grocery shop and need a boost of inspiration, this AI is useful as it saves you time having to trawl through recipe ideas online, or watch cooking videos.
Siri did not verbalise any recipes to me, but provided links to cooking videos instead. The latter is useful if you can spare the time for more detailed instruction.
Voice mode limit reached
A dozen voice commands later, and I reached my limit on Perplexity AI.
So is it worth upgrading to Pro? Not at the moment. While I enjoyed the casual interaction, and friendly tête-à-tête with the AI — not least being impressed with its research skills — I don't think I could rely entirely on its functions due to its inherent limitations.
When I use Siri, it's usually because my phone is out of reach. So earshot-appropriate commands around weather forecast, song requests, setting a timer, or a reminder, is when I reap the benefits of Siri due to its built-in software.
Concerning research-backed results, conversational dialogue and context awareness, Perplexity AI excels. So that's where Siri needs to pick up the pace. Until then, I'll be sticking to Perplexity AI as my go-to assistant.
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