I tried the Perplexity AI app and it’s a smarter way to get your queries answered

In today’s world, AI has become a major part of our lives, from ruling over social media platforms to powering the tech we use on a regular basis. Our smartphones and laptops offer us instant access to AI-powered tools, which aim to simplify tasks and help those who aren’t particularly tech-savvy.

Among the many AI tools available today, Perplexity is a unique app created to help you get answers to your questions with ease.

What is Perplexity?

Perplexity is an AI-powered search tool designed to provide reliable answers to your queries. Whether you want to know the latest news, weather updates, or the answer to a question, Perplexity gets the information you need from the internet within seconds.

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The platform is efficient with its rapid response times. And unlike other search engines, Perplexity doesn’t give us a list of links, it compiles the relevant information into a conversation form. While other AI tools like ChatGPT offer valuable assistance, Perplexity offers crisp and verifiable information.

What did I think of Perplexity AI app?

When turning to AI for answers, you aren’t always sure if the information is accurate. That’s what makes Perplexity different. It cites its sources at the top of every search and provides links so we can verify the information or dive further into the topic. While I do find Perplexity useful, I’ve observed that the responses are not always accurate and up to date.

Perplexity was easy to navigate, and has three main sections – Home, Discover and Library – allowing you to search, explore and keep track of all the material you’ve searched for so far.

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Home is where the search bar is. The homepage also has prompts based on the AI’s understanding of what you might be interested in. The app also has a voice search feature that allows you to get an audio response. However, the free version only answered a limited number of voice queries, and they didn’t stay on the screen long enough for me to review them properly.

The Discover tab is where you can explore trending topics – from recent discoveries to the latest discussions.

The Library was my personal favourite as it doesn’t just grant access to your search history but also allows you to make a collection of searches that are related to the same topic. I could also choose if I wanted others to collaborate with me on my collections, and whether to make the collections a secret or share them with other favourites. The feature doesn’t just grant access to your search history but also allows you to make a collection of searches.

Perplexity is good at understanding the context of questions and answers accordingly. It also comprehends slang well. What I like the most is how I don’t have to click on several different links to get what I’m specifically looking for; the app gives me all the relevant information with just one search. Another thing worth noting is that when you ask a question, the app also offers follow-up question in the same thread.

How to get Perplexity

Perplexity is available for both Android smartphones and iPhones. You can also access it on a laptop using its web version.

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The free version of the app functions smoothly but has its limitations. It makes use of a standard perplexity AI model which is less advanced than the models used in the Pro version. You get an unlimited number of quick searches, but just five Pro queries per day. Additionally, you only get to upload three images, PDFs or text files per day, and just five audio searches.

Perplexity Pro lets you select your preferred AI model from GPT-4o, Claude-3, and more. The subscription costs Rs 1,950 per month and Rs 19,600 per year.  

If you opt for the Pro version of the app, you get over 600 Pro searches per day. Apart from that, you get access to advanced features such as unlimited file uploads, in-depth analysis and extended conversation threads, and image generation for up to 50 text-based answers per day. Lastly, this version also grants early access to new updates or features.