Is auto-play the same as auto-unlock?

No, Auto-play and Auto-unlock are not the same. 

Auto-play smoothly transitions listeners to another series either when they've completed the last free/ unlocked episode of an audio series and lack sufficient coins to unlock the next episode, or when they've finished all episodes of the series they were listening to.  

While the auto-unlock feature enables listeners to unlock locked episodes of audio series using Pocket FM coins from their accounts, ensuring uninterrupted listening enjoyment.