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• Perplexity’s iOS app has updated with a revamped voice mode
• The upgrade adds six new voices and real-time search integration
• Perplexity also included new personalization features and a fresh design to the iOS app

AI conversational search engine Perplexity is speaking up in its latest iOS update. The AI chatbot's voice mode brings a new look and more natural-sounding voices to the app, along with some new interactive features. The upgrade sets up Perplexity's app to better challenge rivals with their own voice options like ChatGPT or Google Gemini.

Before this update, Perplexity’s voice feature was somewhat limited. It could read answers aloud but without much emotion and with a walkie-talkie sort of interface that slowed things down. Perplexity has now added six different voices. While it’s still a text-to-speech system, meaning it won't have the emotional nuance of ChatGPT's advanced voice mode, the improvement is noticeable. You can finally pick a voice that doesn’t sound like an audiobook narrator from 2005.

So, how does Perplexity’s voice mode stack up against the competition? From an unscientific comparison, I'd say ChatGPT's advanced voice mode wins in sheer realism, with an expressive sound, conversational tone, and surprisingly natural-feeling laughter and outright interruptions. Google Gemini is a little less fluid, but still very natural overall. And while Google Gemini's voice is very good, it's a little less fluid than ChatGPT. Perplexity's offering is very clear and easy to understand, but its voices linger in the more neutral tone that sounds a little more artificial. It's not a negative though, just a different approach. Instead of focusing on making AI sound human, it’s doubling down on utility and making sure that when you ask a question, you not only get an answer but also the sources to back it up.

Perplexity's voice mode is embedded in the AI's other features too. That means the real-time search tool links to the voice mode. When you ask a question, you don’t just get a spoken response, you also see live search results, with links to the sources. It's an ability that's crucial since so much of Perplexity's appeal is in how it melds AI with search capabilities.

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The way you start voice mode and the look of the app when using the feature have also been changed. The microphone icon you tap to start talking has been replaced by a sphere of shifting dots that respond to your voice and touch, scattering and reforming at your touch. It's an unnecessary but fun touch to the app. You can also now personalize the app with widgets like stock tickers or sports score updates. It adds another layer of customization that makes Perplexity feel a little more like your assistant rather than just a generic chatbot. Those kinds of options will likely be necessary for Perplexity to keep up with and perhaps beat other AI chatbots.

That ambition is also evident in the other major upgrade to the app. Perplexity has also added the new Claude 3.7 Sonnet model to its lineup. Anthropic's new model is aimed at enhancing Perplexity's ability to respond capably to complex or multi-step questions. Claude 3.7 is still very new, and reviews haven't been unanimous, but it could exceed or at least match the models employed by ChatGPT and Google Gemini for reasoning and conversational engagement.

Perplexity's voice mode revamp suggests Perplexity isn’t looking to beat ChatGPT and Gemini at where they are strongest, but to augment its own strengths with features that make the whole interaction feel (and sound) smoother, more immersive, and more natural.

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On Feb. 28, 2023, a passenger train and freight train collided, leaving 57 dead. New evidence suggests many may not have been killed by the crash itself, but by a fire that followed.

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Elon Musk claims he mistakenly fired Ebola prevention workers, then quickly fixed the error. But Ebola programs are still in tatters, along with other livesaving efforts like AIDS treatments for children.