Motorola, a brand once left for dead after Google gutted the company’s talent and best ideas, looks to be back stronger than ever with the launch of the 2025 Razr models. Whether you want a budget experience, opt for a premium option at a higher price, or fall somewhere in the middle, Motorola believes you’ll appreciate what it has to offer. The company might be right.
One of the big things that should have been more show-stealing is the integration of Perplexity AI, among other AI agents. Thanks to Perplexity’s deep pockets, it’s more than a huge money-printing machine for Motorola; it’s also a different way to use AI. And it’s what many have been imagining since the beginning.
I want to warn everyone right up front: Like every other tech company, Perplexity and Motorola do not have your best interests in mind here. The end goal of all these features is to monetize you and lock you in. In this regard, Perplexity, Motorola, Google, and the rest are all the same.
When it comes to AI in particular, Perplexity seems to be one of the least reputable, and scandals surround much of what the company does, including its data-sharing practices and the reportedly horrific security of its Android app. Again, you should expect this from tech as purposefully intrusive as AI, regardless of who is building it.
And this is where problems may arise. Perplexity on the Razr isn’t what you’re used to from other AI apps on other phones. With deep hooks into the system software, you can ask Perplexity to send messages or call an Uber, as well as ask it who the 13th president of the United States was.
You should think of Perplexity as part of the operating system if you’re not exactly sure how data is shared and accessed on your phone. Perplexity needs to know a lot of your details so it can do things for you, and knowing everything isn’t always good. I assume the developers have the very best intentions, and the company does tell you about its slightly different privacy practices.
We both know people aren’t going to pay a bit of attention to any of it, though, because this is what many people have been waiting for. It’s why products like the Rabbit R1 almost succeeded. They can turn your phone from a tiny glass box into a useful attendant who is ready and waiting for you to tell it what you need.
Eventually, the agent can even attempt to think for itself by utilizing what is commonly called Agentic AI. We see the beginnings of this from Samsung, and when paired up with a “real” AI assistant, things can get a little wild.
There will be new, possibly severe, security and privacy concerns arising from this. I’m not making a prediction here; I’m telling you that using software that some businesses have reportedly banned due to its security (or lack thereof) and privacy concerns, while allowing it to act with little supervision because of its level of permission, could be problematic.
Android Central has reached out to Motorola to clarify how it’s handling user data with its various AI partnerships, including Perplexity, and will update this article when we hear back.
Still, a little hesitation can keep you from getting caught in the middle. Even Perplexity recommends you use incognito mode for anything sensitive, but that’s going to be difficult when it’s a system-level feature of your phone, you have little real control over.
Use the feature and even enjoy it. Never trust it.
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