Samsung Auto Launched: New Rival to Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
Google's Android Auto and Apple's CarPlay are the two leading smartphone integration platforms in cars today, allowing users to display and use phone features right on the car's central entertainment screen, extremely convenient. However, with the One UI 7 update, Samsung has launched its own version of Android Auto called Samsung Auto with many interesting highlights. This utility is currently only being tested exclusively in the Chinese market.
Samsung Auto allows car connectivity via Baidu CarLife+ or ICCOA CarLink – two connectivity standards currently only available on cars sold in China. The application is compatible with many car manufacturers such as Audi, BMW… but only on the China-specific version (as of now). During the testing process, many people noticed that the user interface (UI) of Samsung Auto is very similar to Android Auto and CarPlay. The display screen includes navigation apps, music controls, and some widgets. Similar to CarPlay, Samsung Auto also displays four apps arranged vertically on the side of the screen.
Not many details have been revealed yet, but basically, Samsung Auto will support a quick navigation feature, acting as a bridge between the car and the smartphone. Users can start navigation on the Samsung phone and transfer it to the car screen, or vice versa. This is similar to the feature of Google Maps, where you can send navigation links from the phone to the car screen.
The leaks also mention two exclusive Samsung Auto features: location-based navigation and address recognition for quick navigation. According to Samsung, location-based navigation automatically extracts addresses from messages users receive and updates them to the current route on the Samsung Auto map. This feature is useful because drivers don't have to stop the car to manually enter a new address if their route changes.
The 'address recognition for quick navigation' feature is only compatible with certain Chinese apps and works when the user is in the car. When supported apps detect an address, a shortcut button will appear on the phone screen. The user taps this button to send the address to the car screen and start navigation.
As mentioned, Samsung Auto is currently only available in China. The main reason is that the app relies on the Baidu and ICCOA connectivity standards. Implementing both of these standards requires significant firmware changes from automakers and Samsung, so the likelihood of Samsung Auto going global—at least in the near future—is slim.
