As you might’ve surmised by now, it’s a thing… that you put in your car. Said ‘Thing’ is essentially a touchscreen with a big volume knob and voice controls that you can use to play Spotify music through your car’s speakers. The device also has four preset buttons at the top you can use for podcasts or playlists you regularly listen to. It also needs to connect to your phone via Bluetooth and to a power source on your car (either USB or the 12V outlet), so it’s not exactly a completely seamless experience. But Spotify acknowledges that it’s not meant to compete with in-car infotainment systems.
It’s an interesting choice for a first piece of hardware. As someone who drove a bit of a clunker for a while, I appreciate the ability to modernize an older car, but I’m surprised Spotify didn’t opt for headphones, speakers, or something a little more mainstream instead. Car Thing will be available to a limited number of people the US, and is currently being offered for free, although potential users will have to pay for shipping and will need a Spotify Premium account. If you want your own Car Thing, you can join the waitlist at carthing.spotify.com.
