Bixby, Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity all claim to make your phone more useful through voice commands. Try all four to find out which digital assistant is worth keeping around for the long haul.
4. Bixby
Bixby is built into most Samsung devices and is often overlooked. But once you try it, you'll find it more useful than you expect.
On the Galaxy A72, Bixby handles basic tasks well: Switching settings, opening apps, and answering simple questions. Voice commands can be used to adjust settings, open specific camera modes, and control SmartThings devices . It responds quickly and understands most requests without much adjustment.
It also has a wake word ('Hi Bixby') so you can launch the virtual assistant hands-free without touching your phone, which is something not every assistant on this list can do.
3. ChatGPT
Using ChatGPT as a phone assistant feels different right from the start. It's designed around conversation and language, not device control. That means it's great at helping you think through queries or answering follow-up questions in context. It's especially useful if you're already using ChatGPT's voice mode and want that same flexibility from your home screen.
But when it comes to everyday phone tasks, the limitations quickly appear. There's no wake word, so you can't just say something out loud and expect the virtual assistant to respond. You have to activate it manually or assign it to a button on the phone.
And even when opened, ChatGPT only responds by voice. Any results in the form of images or text appear separately inside the ChatGPT app, which disrupts the flow if you expect on-screen feedback like other assistants provide.
2. Perplexity
Perplexity Assistant isn't as well-known as Gemini or ChatGPT, but it's quickly becoming a strong contender in the space. It answers complex questions, supports follow-ups, and handles multi-layered tasks with ease.
Try asking it to suggest nearby restaurants, then refine the list by walking distance, then text someone. It handles the entire process without any setup or repetition.
But as a voice assistant, Perplexity suffers from the same problem as ChatGPT: there's no wake word. You have to launch it manually or assign it to a button. That extra step adds complexity, especially when your hands are full or your phone is in another room.
1. Gemini
Gemini is the Google Assistant replacement , and the transition should be seamless. The app still supports 'Hey Google,' meaning you can launch apps hands-free and it's fully integrated with Google apps and services .
Tasks like setting reminders, checking your schedule, or playing music work as expected. The improvement is in natural language understanding. You can speak more comfortably, and the app handles follow-up questions more smoothly than the old assistant.
What makes Gemini stand out is the way it handles tasks that span multiple apps. You can say, 'Check Gmail for the message Nathan sent me about translation software,' and it will display a summary of the email right on your home screen.
Gemini isn't perfect, though. It sometimes takes a while to respond, and not every request is perfectly understood. But overall, it strikes a good balance between conversational intelligence and practical usefulness.