The South Korean tech giant has just surprised the automotive world by quietly launching Samsung Auto, an alternative to Android Auto reserved for the Chinese market. Discovered in an update Updated to One UI 7, this operating system aims to offer a tailor-made on-board experience to Galaxy smartphone users.
A familiar interface, but a different philosophy
Initially spotted by a user on Reddit, Samsung Auto is a platform designed and deployed exclusively for Galaxy smartphones sold in China. At first glance, Samsung Auto's interface borrows familiar elements from Android Auto and Apple Car Play. There's a centralized dashboard capable of simultaneously displaying the navigation map, music, and customizable widgets. A sidebar, reminiscent of CarPlay, lets you pin up to four apps for quick access, while the Bixby voice assistant supports Chinese users. But the similarity ends there, as Samsung Auto relies on two of its own connectivity protocols. China (Baidu CarLife+ and ICCOA CarLink) to provide wired or wireless connectivity to compatible vehicles. These protocols are primarily supported by vehicles sold exclusively in China or by Chinese versions of international models. For example, some Audi models in China support Baidu CarLife+.
Where Samsung Auto particularly stands out is with its quick navigation features. The system offers seamlessness, allowing you to easily transfer a route from the phone to the car and vice versa, a fluidity called "Quick Navigation" by the South Korean giant. Even more interesting, it can automatically recognize an address received by message and instantly offer to launch navigation to this destination, without any additional manipulation or voice command.
A Chinese exclusivity... for a long time?
Despite its advantages, Samsung Auto remains for the moment reserved for China and its operation, which is based on standards and applications specific to this market, makes its export very complex. There are no signs of an imminent arrival in Europe or elsewhere and it is unlikely that the firm will seek to go beyond Chinese borders. Indeed, global expansion appears difficult to envisage without significant changes in the automotive industry.
The site 9to5Google, which attempted to install the application on an American Galaxy S25 Ultra, indicates that it is not possible to access the full interface due to connection and vehicle compatibility restrictions. While Samsung Auto will not revolutionize the daily lives of Western drivers tomorrow, it remains a source of inspiration and its intelligent navigation and continuity functions could well give ideas to Google and Apple for the next evolutions of Android Auto and CarPlay.
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