Can newer Android phones play music through the USB port?

[ledvedder]

I realize this isn't the correct forum for this kind of question, but I'm hoping someone has some insight on this. I'm currently looking at all the different smartphones on the market since I'm due for an upgrade from Verizon. In my car, I can connect my current iPhone 4 up to my stereo via USB and listen to my music. I'm told this is much better audio quality than using the 3.5mm jack. I'm wondering if the Android, or even Windows 8, phones can do this. I would just upgrade to an iPhone 5, but I'm not hearing many great things about it to sway me in that direction. Some of the Android phones that I'm leaning towards are:

Samsung Galaxy S3
Samsung Note II (huge, but I like the features)
HTC Droid DNA (not sure about battery life on this one)
HTC 8X (Windows phone, I heard there aren't many apps available)
Motorola Droid Razor Maxx HD

[sixtonoize]

There's no reason it shouldn't.

When you plug in a phone, the stereo recognizes it as an external harddrive - the stereo doesn't know or care if it's running iOS, Android, or something completely different.

[Devin]

My Kenwood's usb port won't play music straight from my iphone, but it's an older one (probably one of the first to have a USB port)

What kind of stereo do you have?

[ledvedder]

Clarion CZ702

[sixtonoize]

Here's the manual: http://a248.e.akamai.net/pix.crutchfiel ... 0CZ702.PDF

It says that you can use USB memory sticks, which function essentially identically to the memory on an Android phone.
You should be good to go.

[ledvedder]

Cool thanks! Now, any recommendations on which phone I should go with?

[The Anomaly]

Echo what sixto said, my Sony headunit's USB ports do NOT play music from my Galaxy SIII, but it's just as easy to put music on a thumb drive as it is to the phone, and you can just leave the thumb drive in, and not worry about hooking your phone up.

It would be nice to do what you/I want to do, I'm not sure why we can't. I use the bluetooth feature to play from the phone.

[100 watt]

I just got a windows phone. Nokia Lumia. I used a flip phone forever. Still tryin to get used to it.

[sloppy fingers]

I have an S2 and I tried this. I think you can but you have to change some of your usb storage settings before it will work like a USB stick and switch back when you're done, which is a hassle. If the car deck will sync up with bluetooth audio it's way easier.