Spotify has finally, officially revealed Car Thing, its car-focused smart music player that helps users easily access their favorite music, podcasts and more. The announcement marks a rare product launch for Spotify, which is mostly known for being one of the world's top music streaming services. However, the company maintains that this new product creates a seamless music experience that many users were asking for.
Car Thing has not been Spotify's best kept secret, following multiple reports of its existence, and even images having been spotted in the Spotify app's code. In addition, with last week's soft reveal of the "Hey Spotify" app-specific voice assistant for Spotify - a feature that was rumored to be directly connected to the rollout of Car Thing - a product unveiling seemed more inevitable than ever before. Sure enough, the Car Thing is here, though in the form of a limited release in the U.S. and on an invite-only basis.
The question now is, will Spotify's Car Thing actually be worth it? The smart player - which connects to a user's car stereo through a smartphone and by either using Bluetooth, USB or AUX cables - will reportedly cost $80 when it fully launches, and requires a Spotify Premium subscription to work. For those combined costs, the Car Thing sure seems to share a lot of functionality as a smartphone outfitted with the service. Spotify lists key selling points of Car Thing as voice control via "Hey Spotify," a physical dial for hands-on browsing, a touch-screen display, and preset buttons to access favorites quickly. Outside of the dial and the presets, a smartphone paired with Spotify and a cheap car mount could potentially be a cost-saving alternative to the Car Thing.
Car Thing May Make Sense For Some
For many Spotify Premium users, it's likely that the Car Thing won't quite move the needle the way Spotify thinks it will. From a broad perspective, Car Thing simply shares too many of the same qualities that can already be found in most modern smartphones. Paying an extra $80 for similar results just won't make sense. However, similar doesn't mean the same. Car Thing does intend to make it easier for users to access audio content, thanks to features like a physical dial and the ability to use the wake phrase at any time (iOS and Android devices can only use the feature when the Spotify app is pulled up). For anyone that spends significant amounts of time in their vehicle, whether it be for commutes, road trips, or other purposes, being able to quickly browse and select one's favorite music or podcasts is likely to come in handy.
Although Car Thing is an attempt by Spotify to make it easier for users to play their favorite content, it can't be faulted for that. While many will undoubtedly stick with using their phones for playing music while on the road, for others, Car Thing could end up being a useful remote for controlling music playback during long stretches behind the wheel. Not to mention, Spotify's Car Thing may also be a safer alternative to using a smartphone as well.
Source: Spotify