Not Even Paying $1,600 on the Best Android Phone Guarantees a Flawless Android Auto

Arguably the best device in the Android ecosystem, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra began shipping to the first customers who pre-ordered the handset in the United States and several other regions earlier this week. As the typical Android device, the Galaxy S23 also supports Android Auto out of the box.

As a flagship model whose price rises to over $1,600 for the top-of-the-line configuration with 1TB of storage, the Galaxy S23 Ultra should theoretically offer owners a flawless experience on all fronts. Including Android Auto, that is.

The early Galaxy S23 Ultra buyers find out the hard way that this is not true, as Android Auto seemingly fails to run in a car where other Android devices work perfectly. The first reports indicating this problem appeared on the Google forums a few days ago, and I expect the number of complaints to increase as more people receive the device.

The battle may sound familiar to Samsung customers. When connected to the main unit, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra does not start Android Auto, with a message appearing on the mobile device that reads “USB device not supported.” Users claim that they tried the typical solutions, including switching to other cables, but nothing got Android Auto working. Not even the original Samsung cable, that is, because the app just can’t launch when the Galaxy S23 is on the other end of the cord.

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

Some Android Auto users who bought the Galaxy S22 Ultra are still struggling with the same connectivity issues 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 also look into these new reports as the Galaxy S23 series seems to be experiencing the same issues 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 paying 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 equipped with 256GB of storage. A limited-time offer also offers buyers a free storage upgrade on the Ultra.