Could this be the run-up to Apple acquiring Perplexity? I remain convinced that Apple defending their internal AI division shows they are close to a major acquisition and are just waiting for a valuation dip on one of the major competitors. Distribution is a solved problem for Apple, what they need is proven usecases and a competitive tech stack.
That said, search and consolidating multiple model APIs isn’t a great match for what Apple needs, and their optics aren’t great. My bet is still on Apple acquires Anthropic in 2026.
Some companies buy other companies to let them die – strategically, some companies buy other companies to get their features/talents but remove any trace of that company or that design language, or so. Some companies buy other companies to control competition. Apple seems to buy other companies for doing nothing at all. They have so much money that they buy other companies, but they are so bad at software that they can’t figure out what to do with it after that.
It’s sad stating this as an iPhone/Mac user (but not an Apple fan – yes, there’s a distinction), but even if Apple is able to buy Google in its entirety, they will not be able to fix search in any part of the Apple ecosystem.
Could this be the run-up to Apple acquiring Perplexity? I remain convinced that Apple defending their internal AI division shows they are close to a major acquisition and are just waiting for a valuation dip on one of the major competitors. Distribution is a solved problem for Apple, what they need is proven usecases and a competitive tech stack.
That said, search and consolidating multiple model APIs isn’t a great match for what Apple needs, and their optics aren’t great. My bet is still on Apple acquires Anthropic in 2026.
Some companies buy other companies to let them die – strategically, some companies buy other companies to get their features/talents but remove any trace of that company or that design language, or so. Some companies buy other companies to control competition. Apple seems to buy other companies for doing nothing at all. They have so much money that they buy other companies, but they are so bad at software that they can’t figure out what to do with it after that.
It’s sad stating this as an iPhone/Mac user (but not an Apple fan – yes, there’s a distinction), but even if Apple is able to buy Google in its entirety, they will not be able to fix search in any part of the Apple ecosystem.