
After unveiling trials in May 2019, Spotify tested the device with a small group of people in April 2021, and then brought it to wider release in February this year. "So we decided to terminate this program in light of that."Ĭar Thing was a next-generation stereo designed to stream Spotify's music and podcasts from the user's phone through the car audio system. "We just can't get it to an attractive economical profile," Spotify CEO Daniel Ek told Reuters. However, the company said it was unable to sell enough devices at a sufficiently high price to justify the investment. Spotify wrote down a $31 million investment in the device, which was aimed at increasing the number of users who listen to music or podcasts while in the car. read more In doing so, Spotify became the latest software technology company to stumble in an attempt to build hardware. The world's leading audio streaming service on Wednesday announced it would discontinue the device just five months after it became available to all users in the United States. This launch comes not long after it was discovered that Spotify is removing the car mode from its smartphone app.LOS ANGELES/STOCKHOLM, July 27 (Reuters) - Spotify Technology SA's (SPOT.N) Car Thing player is now a thing of the past. Car Thing works with any Premium account and connects to a mobile phone for data. With “Hey Spotify” you have hands-free music, every mile of the way. Ask, tap, turn or swipe to get to your favorites faster. This is Car Thing from Spotify, now available in the US. There’s a touchscreen as well as a physical dial for interface navigation. The device has a custom interface designed to make it easy to use Spotify while driving, with easy access to playlists, songs, and a “Hey Spotify” voice command to control playback hands-free. Recapping Car Thing, this hardware acts as an extension of Spotify from your phone. The only requirement is that you are a Spotify Premium subscriber, as the paid tier is needed to use the product. The product no longer requires a special invitation to purchase, it’s available for open purchase at.
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Starting today, though, Spotify Car Thing is available to everyone in the US, just in time for a major update to the product.Īvailable today, Spotify Car Thing is now on sale for $90 in the United States.

Spotify has been working on its own car hardware for a while, with “Car Thing” having gone on sale last year for a limited number of interested users.
