Have you heard? Spotify does one Car thing. Yes, seriously, it’s called Car Thing. It acts as an intermediate device that connects to your phone and your car, so you can listen to Spotify through your car’s stereo, even if the devices are usually incompatible.
The Car Thing’s screen shows you what’s playing and has a large dial for navigating menus and changing volume, and a single button for making selections. It also responds to the “Hey, Spotify” voice commands that the company performs recently launched on smartphones. (Note that this feature gathers your voice data, which Spotify uses for targeted ads. Many other apps do the same, but it’s worth mentioning in case such practices put you off.)
But even if Spotify’s data policies don’t put you off, getting your hands on a car can bring some luck: it’s only available for a limited time, randomly selected Spotify Premium subscribers to join the waiting list.
Spotify says it is opting for a limited edition version as its main focus is still on the music streaming service itself and it doesn’t want to be seen as a hardware company. Fair enough, but it’s unclear how many Car Things are actually available or whether Spotify plans to release more in the future.
Either way, interested customers should put themselves on the waiting list right away to buy one before they run out – or, if you’re lucky, even get one for free … well, kind of.
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The expected retail price of Car Thing is $ 79.99, but the first round of customers gets their auto items “free” and pays only for shipping ($ 6.99 for shipments to the continental US or $ 14.99 to Alaska and Hawaii). To join the waiting list, go to The official Spotify Car Thing website and click on “Put me on the list.” Follow the directions and cross your fingers for an invite.
[KnowTechie]