If you feel like your iPhone is smarter than your car by a generation, Spotify made a music player for your car. The new tech from Spotify earned the name Car Thing, and it was supposed to make it easier for Spotify Premium subscribers to listen to music. If your car doesn’t have features like Apple CarPlay or Android Auto you may be looking for other options, such as Spotify’s Car Thing, hoping it will deliver and make your commute more enjoyable.
When the most popular music streaming service makes its own hardware for use in the car, the world pays attention. But, unfortunately, the Car Thing did not live up to the brand’s hype or name and ended before it started. They halted production so fast your only options for purchase are obscure at best. Learn everything you need to know about Spotify’s now-obsolete music player.
The Spotify Car Thing was a Bluetooth-enabled audio player that aimed to improve listening to music in your car. Spotify targeted customers who wanted a user-friendly interface in the car for their music without needing to buy a new car with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Unfortunately, Amazon keeps attempting to make similar options with little success as well.
When choosing between a ninety-dollar Spotify Car Thing and the down payment on a newer car, the device’s sub-$100 price and trusted brand name can look like a good compromise. First, it connected to your phone, which then connected to your car with an aux cable, USB, or Bluetooth. Next, customers needed to plug it into the 12-volt outlet in their car, often set aside for phone chargers.
While the controls were also easy to figure out, the product never took off despite a 4.0-inch touchscreen, four buttons, two dials, and the option to say “Hey, Spotify” to get closer to a favorite song or artist, or podcast. Even after the company slashed prices, they still could not sell enough devices to make a profit.
The Car Thing was first made available to testers only. Then, in February 2022, it went on sale to the general public. Finally, in July of 2022, the company made the decision to pull the plug and take it off the market.
Last spring, Spotify announced the Car Thing, an accessory that lets you do nothing but use the Spotify app on your phone while driving. Unfortunately, after sinking about $32 million into Car Thing, the company seems to have realized the product did not meet the needs of its customers and stopped production. Used versions of this item cost around $200 because the company no longer makes them.
Even though Spotify will not make any more Car Things, the ones that are still in stock can still be bought on the company’s website. The price has dropped from $90 to $50, so if you like collecting old or out-of-date tech, this is a good deal. Spotify tells its current users that their Car Things will keep working normally, but it does not say how long that will be the case.
Finding the Car Thing may be a challenge. You will need to look on websites like eBay, Mercari, and even local markets to try and find one of the available. How long Spotify will support the devices remains a mystery.
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