Spotify’s first hardware product is finally here. After months of teasing a hands-free music smart player for your car, Spotify delivers the Car Thing. The streaming giant first debuted the accessible automotive music player to a limited number of Spotify Premium users last October. As of this week, the device is officially available to the public.
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Car Thing looks to provide drivers a way to listen to Spotify without taking their attention away from the road. The smart player attaches to the dashboard and connects to power via a 12V power adapter. The device connects to phones with Bluetooth and to car stereos using an external cable such as USB or AUX cord. Listeners are able to direct the smart player using “Hey Spotify” voice commands. For riders in the passenger seat, Car Thing offers a 4-inch touchscreen display and a rotary knob to swipe through song collections and playlists. Additional buttons atop the device provide the option to queue preset playlists or podcasts, as well as access to the settings menu.
In its initial exploration phase for Car Thing, Spotify said it learned that users were listening to Spotify in the car more than ever before. They gathered feedback on what features users valued most, including a dimmed Night Mode and an “Add to Queue” command. While those features are not available currently, Spotify is working on incorporating them in a future update.
Car Thing is available to purchase now for $89.99 USD via Spotify’s website. However, the device requires a Spotify Premium subscription plan as well as a phone with a mobile data connection.
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