It seems that Samsung is building out a new alternative to Android Auto called “Auto DeX” which supports a car-optimized UI, and might even work when your car doesn’t support it.
It was shown earlier this year that “Samsung Auto” exists for certain markets, primarily China, as an alternative to Android Auto. But, apparently, Samsung has an expanded option in the works.
Self-proclaimed “One UI geek” @GalaxyTechie discovered a new feature in Samsung’s software called “Auto DeX.” The feature is said to support “8,500+ car models” from over one hundred brands and has an Android Auto/CarPlay-like UI. There’s a central dashboard that seems to show a map with a music playlist shortcut to the right side above a music control widget. To the far left, a vertical taskbar shows the time, a list of apps, and an app drawer shortcut. Apps shown include Bixby, a map app, a music app, and Samsung’s Phone app.
Notably, the screenshot also shows a second taskbar at the bottom of the screen with Samsung’s three-button navigation. Presumably, that maty have something to do with the mention that Galaxy Techie claims you can use “Auto DeX” “with some tricks” on your phone even if your car doesn’t support it or if you “don’t have a car.”
Update 7/13: In a new thread, @GalaxyTechie shows this experience further in-depth, and also says it is a combination of “Samsung Auto” and DeX, rather than a new product entirely. This is why you can see two taskbars at once, but you can hide the DeX taskbar if you wish.
The new screenshots further include additional settings such as light and dark themes, the ability to change you wallpaper, and options for changing the widgets on the dashboard. The background color of apps changes to match the wallpaper.
There are a lot of questions around this, including when such a feature would debut, where it would be available, and what kind of app support it would have. But, assuming we’re reading this right and you can run this on your phone’s display, this would be a welcome replacement for the “Android Auto for Phone Screens” experience that Google shut down a few years ago.
What do you think of “Auto Dex” based on this first peek?
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