Samsung has launched its own connected car system, in an effort to catch up to Apple's CarPlay.
Car Mode for Galaxy allows users to connect their car to their Galaxy smartphone, providing services such as music, maps, hands-free texts and more.
The service can be controlled via the smartphone, in-car touchscreen or steering wheel controls, and works on any car that supports Mirror Link connectivity, including models from Honda, Mercedes, BMW, Toyota and more.
If you don't have a compatible car, however, Car Mode will also work as a standalone app, providing relevant, non-distracting services.
Unlike its competitor Android Auto, Car Mode for Galaxy will not have an open app ecosystem, but is instead likely to be comprised of first-party Samsung apps and those of selected partners.
On the plus side, as it uses the Mirror Link standard rather than specific partnerships, it's likely to appear in more vehicles than Android Auto.
It's also likely that Samsung will tie this functionality into their line of smartwatches, such as the forthcoming Gear S2. The company already announced a partnership with Volkwagen to provide extended remote functionality to certain cars via the device.
While both car manufacturers and tech companies are scrambling to develop connected car solutions, it's still too early to tell whether the market will favour a platform-centric approach as it has with smartphones.
Samsung said the app will be available 4 September, as will the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus.
