Given that this is Spotify’s first piece of hardware, expect things to evolve substantially. In other words, it solves a problem for Spotify instead of solving a problem for consumers–a problem that might not even exist.
Spotify is also dependent on other manufacturers to include their service in dashboards, so this is something of an end-run around that. So who’s this for? Spotify users without a modern infotainment system, I guess.
To understand your request even with the music turned up or your car windows down, the Car Thing is outfitted with four microphones along the top. Just say 'Hey Spotify,' followed by your request for a song, album, artist, playlist, station, or podcast.
The device on the other hand costs about Rs 5963.45 which is way cheaper than any Android Auto unit that you might go to purchase. You just have to pay shipping of about Rs 500. Then again, if you have Apple’s CarPlay or Android Auto, Spotify access is already built-in, so there’s no need for Car Thing. The Car Thing also features hands-free voice control via 'Hey Spotify'. As of now in the US the Spotify Car thing is available at no cost for the Premium users. The company insists that the new hardware is meant to augment existing infotainment systems rather than replace them. It went on sale yesterday (April 13) on an invitation-only basis. Content can be downloaded so you can listen offline, thereby saving on data costs.Ĭar Thing had been in beta testing with a number of US users for a while. The images on the screen can act as presets in the same manner as a radio. In a move reminiscent of the old aftermarket satellite radios, it comes with three different mounts so you can find the right place for it. It has a big touch screen and a single rotary knob for scrolling through music and podcasts.
No matter the year or model of your vehicle, we feel everyone should have a superior listening experience.Back in 2019, Spotify starting making news about a piece of hardware they called “Car Thing.” The device mounts somewhere in your vehicle and uses the new “Hey, Spotify” vocal commands. We wonder how many people would use their smartphone for navigation then also fit the Spotify Car Thing to the dashboard for music too.Īddressing those who own an older car that lacks smartphone integration, Spotify says: "we developed Car Thing because we saw a need from our users, many of whom were missing out on a seamless and personalized in-car listening experience. But just in case you’re not a fan of Spotify, or you want to investigate the current spectrum of in-car audio options to make a comparison, we. Resting somewhere in a functional grey area between a smartphone, a typical in-car audio device, and a virtual assistant, the Spotify Car Thing is attempting to carve out a whole sub-niche of its own. However, Spotify music controls already feature in the Google Maps smartphone app, creating an interface for navigation and music in one. The Spotify Car Thing is a bit of an odd device. Then, in May 2019, Spotify officially announced its Car Thing experiment. The device was first leaked back in April 2018, with product renders showcasing a circular, monochrome display with two playback buttons. For the millions of people who send music from their phone to a car, this could make for a good solution. Leading up to this official announcement, Car Thing was something Spotify had been working on for a long time. Spotify is going after customers with a car that doesn't have a native Spotify experience, or an app available through systems like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Car Thing has voice control, just say "hey Spotify" Spotify It isn't clear how many Car Things Spotify plans to give away for free, but after this initial stage it expects to sell the product for $80. It's an approach that certainly feels more like an experiment for now, rather than the start of a major pivot to audio hardware from Spotify. Spotify is giving the Car Thing away for free, but only in the US for now and only to customers it picks out from a waiting list, who are then asked to pay $7 for shipping.
It features voice control, so you can say 'Hey Spotify' to pick the next playlist, and it connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth for a data connection. The Car Thing is designed to put a simple touchscreen display with a rotating control dial on the dashboard of your car. It connects to your phone over Bluetooth and uses a phone’s internet connection to stream and control playback on songs and podcasts from. After many months of speculation, rumors and leaks, Spotify has finally announced its first hardware device, called the Car Thing. The Car Thing is not a standalone Spotify device.