13-07-2025
Samsung's upcoming Auto DeX aims to challenge Android Auto and CarPlay
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are the two most popular platforms for mirroring your smartphone's features and apps to your car's infotainment system. Now, Samsung might soon come up with its own alternative called Auto DeX.
Leaker @GalaxyTechie has shared the first screenshot of Samsung's Auto Dex, showing off the default home screen. He claims Samsung's in-car infotainment solution will support over 8,500 cars across 120+ brands. Interestingly, he says Auto DeX will even work with other unsupported cars with "some tricks."
It also seems that you can run Auto DeX directly on your phone, again via "some tricks," which would give it a big advantage over Android Auto and CarPlay. Google previously offered this functionality through Android Auto for phones but discontinued it in June 2022.
Based on the shared screenshot, Samsung's Auto DeX implementation looks similar to Android Auto and CarPlay. The bottom taskbar seems to provide access to recently used and favorite apps, with the navigation bar located on the right for easy driver access.
On the extreme right, there seems to be a widget for Now Brief and the music player. The left features a vertical taskbar with shortcuts for phone, music, maps, digital assistant, and the app drawer.
Samsung offers several features on its devices that directly rival or mirror those of Google's. So, the company releasing an Android Auto alternative exclusively for Galaxy devices seems plausible.
If Auto DeX shares the same codebase as Android Auto, it should support all the apps compatible with the latter. Given Google's close partnership with Samsung, the company may have provided the latter with exclusive access to Android Auto customization.
Google already provides Samsung with exclusive and early access to new Wear OS releases for its Galaxy Watch lineup every year.
This marks the first time we've heard about Samsung's plans to take on Android Auto and CarPlay, and there's still a lot we don't know about. Thankfully, we may not have to wait long, as Samsung could unveil Auto DeX as part of One UI 8 when it launches the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 later today (July 9th).
