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Not Even a $1,600 Android Phone Can Guarantee You a Flawless Android Auto Experience

Customers who spend a small fortune on the best Android smartphone money can buy today might end up disappointed when connecting the phone to the media receivers in their cars.
Android Auto not playing nice on the Galaxy S23 Ultra 8 photos
Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
Android Auto Coolwalk interfaceAndroid Auto Coolwalk interfaceAndroid Auto Coolwalk interfaceAndroid Auto Coolwalk interfaceAndroid Auto Coolwalk interfaceAndroid Auto weather cardContextual card displayed in the top left corner
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, arguably the top device in the Android ecosystem, started shipping earlier this week to the first customers who pre-ordered the mobile phone in the United States and several other regions. As the typical Android device, the Galaxy S23 also supports Android Auto out of the box.

As a flagship model whose pricing goes all the way up to over $1,600 for the top-of-the-range configuration with 1TB of storage, the Galaxy S23 Ultra should theoretically provide owners with a flawless experience on all fronts. Including Android Auto, that is.

The early Galaxy S23 Ultra buyers figure out the hard way that this isn’t true, as Android Auto seemingly fails to run in a car where other Android devices are working perfectly. The first reports signaling this issue went live on the Google forums a few days ago, and I expect the number of complaints to go up as more people receive the device.

The struggles might sound familiar to Samsung customers. When connected to the head unit, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra fails to start Android Auto, with a message that shows up on the mobile device reading “USB device not supported.” Users claim they’ve tried the typical workarounds, including switching to other cables, but nothing brought Android Auto to a working state. Not even the original Samsung cable, that is, as the app just fails to launch when the Galaxy S23 is at the other end of the cord.

There’s a good reason I said the experience might feel familiar for Samsung customers. The same issues happened with the Galaxy S22 Ultra as well, and unfortunately, it took the South Korean company many months to deliver a fix.

Some Android Auto users who bought the Galaxy S22 Ultra are still struggling with the same connectivity problems today despite all these fixes, and it’s not known if the parent company is at least continuing the investigation. On the other hand, Samsung should look into these new reports too, as the Galaxy S23 series appears to hit the same problems on Android Auto as its predecessor.

Samsung Galaxy S23 starts at $799 in the United States for the base model with 128GB of storage, but for a limited time, customers can order the 256GB version without having to pay extra. The base version of the larger Galaxy S23+ costs $999, while the Galaxy S23 Ultra can be yours for at least $1,199 when fitted with 256GB of storage. A limited-time offer provides buyers with a free storage upgrade on the Ultra as well.

UPDATE (February 15): The bug has become more widespread, with Google itself considering it a trending issue. No fix is known to exist, but Google is asking for phone logs to begin an investigation.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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