Spotify Car Thing For Sale

You can choose to set up the device to work via Bluetooth or an AUX or USB cable, depending on how you usually connect your phone to your car stereo to play music. Car Thing users can browse podcasts, playlists, stations, and albums using voice commands, a touch screen, or an analog dial. There are also four buttons on top that allow for easy access to four presets. It's basically like playing music through a phone's Spotify app but using a dedicated hands-free interface instead. While the Car Thing is currently a limited product launch, Spotify said it would be giving away the normally-$80 device for free to select Spotify listeners, who will only pay for shipping. Silly name aside, Spotify Car Thing actually looks like a pretty useful device for avid Spotify users.

It connects to someone's phone via Bluetooth to act as a remote for controlling the Spotify app and then syncs up with the car's speakers using Bluetooth, an AUX cable, or USB. Once everything is configured, Car Thing makes it easier for people to control their Spotify playback while on the road. They can browse through playlists, play/pause a song, find podcasts to listen to, etc. All of this can be done using Car Thing's touchscreen or physical buttons/dial, in addition to the microphones that allow for 'Hey Spotify' voice commands. Four preset buttons line the top edge for quick access to playlists, albums and podcasts. These can be set with a press and hold or by asking the on-board voice assistant to do it for you.

You can either press the appropriate button or make the request with your voice. When you save a podcast, Car Thing will automatically play the most recent episode when you tap the preset button or ask for it to be played. Four microphones are positioned beside the preset buttons to hear those commands when the music is blasting or you have the windows rolled down. There's also a Settings button on the far right of the top that gives you access to a very limited menu. One handy tool it does offer is the ability to disable the microphones.

Car Thing is similar to a touchscreen, voice-enabled tuner, except the only things Car Thing helps drivers "tune" are different tracks, podcasts, albums or playlists inside Spotify's library. In addition to allowing you to tap its screen or direct it with voice commands, Car Thing has a large physical dial. (And yes, this device only works with Spotify.) The device comes with a selection of different attachments to mount it to your dashboard. The device requires users to have a paid Spotify premium membership and a smartphone with WiFi or mobile data capabilities. The device uses voice recognition — users can say "Hey Spotify" to enable commands — and features a dial so users can play, select and browse through Spotify's offerings.

The final product looksmuchdifferent from its previous iterations, featuring a rectangular body with a touchscreen display, four preset buttons, a rotating navigation dial, and buttons to go back and mute/open settings. The display measures at 4-inches, the whole thing is 4.6-inches long and 0.7-inches wide, and it needs to be connected to a car via Bluetooth, a USB outlet, or AUX cable to sync up with the vehicle's speakers. Spotify says Car Thing also needs to be connected to the user's phone via Bluetooth to actually power the Spotify interface that it shows .

Once everything is all set up and ready to go, Car Thing makes it easier and safer to use Spotify while behind the wheel. In addition to controlling music playback via the touchscreen and buttons, there are also built-in microphones that allow for 'Hey Spotify' voice commands. I'll admit that I was ready to dismiss Car Thing at first blush. It seemed unnecessary, even in my Honda Element, when I already had my phone that works just fine as a music player — and it has its own virtual assistant.

But once I began to use the device, I started to understand its purpose. While it seems only Spotify die-hards would be interested in something like this, it does offer an upgrade for older cars. I'm never getting built-in voice control in the Element, and the ability to keep Waze on my phone and Spotify on another display definitely reduced the need to fiddle with either while driving. If you're OCD about cords and clutter, Car Thing will take some extra planning, but there are tidier solutions than what I've been testing. Spotify has experimented with releasing hardware based around its music streaming service, but none of its devices ever saw a wide release. This time around, the company has announced 'Car Thing,' a touchscreen panel for your car that plays Spotify and nothing else.

In a press release about Car Thing, Spotify explains that it's not trying to compete with existing infotainment systems. Instead, the company's goal with Car Thing is to offer a frictionless audio experience for users. Considering Car Thing doesn't offer any functionality beyond access to playing music and podcasts through Spotify, I have my doubts it will compete with other systems like Android Auto or Apple CarPlay anyway. Spotify says it's opting for a limited release because its primary focus is still 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. The company told us that beyond the voice data, the device isn't collecting any more information than it does already in the mobile app. Still, Car Thing does give Spotify a more direct window into what people listen to during commutes and longer road trips, which could inform its future products, programmed playlists and other features. Spotify Car Thing, a new smart accessory with a display for your car, has been unveiled by the popular music streaming platform.

It lets you listen to everything available on Spotify without having to use your phone. Car Thing can also respond to voice commands that can be triggered with "Hey Spotify" and can be controlled with touch gestures or by using the large dial on the front. To use Car Thing, Spotify users must have a Premium membership. This device, being synchronized with the user's account, will also allow access to playlists and even add songs, all via voice while driving. Also has a circular display that shows what is playing, and some touch buttons that will be used to access presets. While a driver can still manipulate the device via its touch screen, physical controls are paramount to the Car Thing's design.

The small display sensibly makes use of analog controls, including a large physical dial to steer through the menus. There are also four well-placed physical buttons on the top of Car Thing meant to be used like radio presets, providing quick access to someone's favorite music, playlists, and stations. This kind of device interaction is often overlooked in the era of touch—our phones, computers, and many other everyday objects are controlled by simply pressing the screen.

But giving a person a knob is a smart idea when the gizmo is intended for use in a car . One thing that Spotify might accomplish with Car Thing, however, is getting users who default to the radio to switch to Spotify instead. It's clearly making a play for the space with its Your Daily Drive playlist, which updates daily with music and spoken word content, as well as its push into podcasts. I default to the radio often because it's the easiest thing to put on.

Car Thing, if I keep it in my car, would admittedly change that and give Spotify more of my listening time, and that's likely all Spotify wants. I guess it depends on how comfortable people are with a Spotify-owned microphone in their cars and whether they think the device offers a more meaningful experience than their built-in infotainment systems. Because my car is older, it did provide a hands-free interface for music while also adding another screen to my setup.

But I also feel uneasy about a Spotify microphone being within earshot of all my conversations. The privacy page mostly details the company's interactive voice ads, which I have yet to come across. As for the hardware itself, Car Thing pairs with a phone over Bluetooth. It needs this phone for a data connection, so yes, users will require a decent amount of data to stream. In a press briefing, Spotify noted that right now, there's no way for users to pull only from their downloaded content, although that functionality could come in the future. Depending on a car's connectivity, users can either rely on an auxiliary cable for sound or keep their phone paired to their car's Bluetooth to play audio content over the speakers.

The Car Thing doesn't have a speaker itself, and it's basically controlling the Spotify app on your phone. Spotify has decided to go for a limited launch for Car Thing that is exclusive to the US and is available on an invite-only basis. The device itself is free-of-cost for a limited time but customers will have to pay for shipping.

The anticipated retail price for Car Thing is $79.99 (roughly Rs. 6,000). A Spotify Premium subscription is required to use Car Thing. Customers on free trial of Premium will have to forfeit their remaining trial period to buy Car Thing. Spotify says there are over 70 million user-generated driving-related playlists on its platform and Car Thing offers a dedicated way to experience music, news, entertainment, and more. "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," the company said in a press release. After dominating the world of music streaming,Spotifyis now launching its first hardware release with Car Thing — an accessory that allows users to safely control their Spotify listening while in the car.

Car Thing is an odd device designed with a very specific use case in mind, but for regular Spotify users that spend a lot of time on the road, it looks to have a lot of potential. 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. It has a big touch screen and a single rotary knob for scrolling through music and podcasts. And right now, the streaming service is offering U.S. users the chance to get one for free (besides $6.99 for shipping) through the website carthing.spotify.com. Car Thing is 4.6 inches wide and 2.5 inches tall, with a touchscreen measuring 4 inches diagonally. There are four preset buttons on the top, which can be set to launch specific playlists, podcasts, or other content.

Besides the touch screen, most functions can be controlled through the side dial. Car Thing connects to your car using Bluetooth or the 3.5mm jack. The Car Thing mounts up to a vehicle's dashboard and plugs into a 12-volt power outlet. To use the device, customers pair their phone to the Car Thing and to their car's audio system. The idea, according to Spotify, is to give users a "seamless" listening experience "no matter the year or model of your vehicle."

CarYour car should have access to play audio on its speakers via Bluetooth, or AUX, or USB cable.It is available at no cost for users. You will only have to pay for the shipping charge, which is still affordable. Once the company goes public with the launch, it will be priced at $79.99. Spotify Car Thing is a remote-like gadget that will let you stream music from your smartphone while you are in your car. Announced on April 13, 2021, Spotify Car Thing is a smart player that lets you play music, podcasts, news, and more and works with any car you own.

First, there's the 'Hey Spotify' voice command, as well as a 4-inch touch screen. Interestingly, the large dial next to the screen is also for navigating the interface in an iPod Classic-like fashion. Along the top of the Car Thing are four buttons users can bind to their favourite playlists or podcasts. To use Car Thing, you'll need a Spotify Premium account and you'll have to keep your smartphone nearby.

Car Thing needs the Spotify app on your phone to access streaming content. A Bluetooth connection from the Car Thing to your phone lets the Car Thing act as a remote control, albeit a pretty fancy one. A second Bluetooth connection from your phone to your car's audio system is how you actually hear your chosen music. The voice controls mostly worked — for some reason it only got tripped up on a Kid Cudi request — but I grew frustrated with the steps it took to control music. When a song that I didn't like played, it took longer to say, "Hey Spotify, skip" than it would have to just tap the skip button on my phone.

I generally felt like I could more efficiently navigate Spotify just by using my phone at stop lights. The device does shine, however, when you ask the voice assistant to start a playlist, and it registered those commands easily. It has a thin profile and features two prominent buttons on the front, a small one that serves as a back button and a larger knob that lets you interact with whatever's on-screen. There's no speaker, so it's easiest to think of the device as, essentially, a Spotify remote.

Yes, you could use your actual phone to play Spotify content, but instead, Spotify is betting that you'll want voice controls and a dedicated interface to control your audio. Car Thing, a Spotify-only, voice-controlled device for the car, is launching today in limited quantities to invited users. It's a dedicated, Bluetooth-connected device for controlling Spotify without the need for a phone screen, which seems to be meant for people who drive older cars without built-in infotainment systems or phone connections.

Spotify Car Thing has an"anticipated retail price"of $79.99, but Spotify users can get it for free for a limited time by signing up for a waitlist. They'll still need to pay shipping and handling if chosen, but that brings the cost of Car Thing down to just $6.99. It's unclear when exactly Spotify Car Thing will be available for a broader audience, but anyone interested can sign up right now.

This is could be anything, from student to an individual or a family plan, just an active premium subscription is all you need to configure the device for playing music within your car. The Spotify Car Thing has a voice assistant to respond and wake for the "Hey Spotify" call-up. Well, users need a premium subscription to play songs anyway.

The Car Thing works with a smartphone nearby, using its internet connection. The device is simple to set up and has few physical buttons to navigate and operate playlists. Spotify's Car Thing – the simple hardware for playing music in a car is now widely available for all in the US.

The company commercialized it with a price tag of $79.99, and be procured by both free and premium users. Spotify has reached a new milestone, branching out to hardware for the first time in its history. Its first product, the quirkily-named 'Car Thing', has been in development for a number of years. As the name suggests, it's a product designed to make playing music, playlists, podcasts, and more as you drive. The Car Thing can be mounted onto vents in your dashboard and is designed so your phone can "do phone stuff" – rather than having the Spotify app on-screen the whole time.

Spotify has launched a new gadget called Car Thing which gives the less tech savvy car the modern smart screen tech experience. "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," the firm said. Once configured, just say "Hey Spotify" and ask for a song, album, artist, playlist, station, or podcast. If you're stopped at a red light or in park, try using the 4-inch touch screen or dial to browse, select, play, pause, and discover content; four preset buttons along the top also act as easy shortcuts. Whether your road trip soundtracks consist of music, news, entertainment, or talk, Spotify's Car Thing has you covered. The new smart player, currently available to select users in the U.S., puts your audio library just a voice command, tap, turn, or swipe away.

Car Thing connects to a user's car via Bluetooth, AUX, or USB cable and enables them to play music and podcasts from Spotify Premium through their vehicle's speakers. It's powered by a car's 12V power outlet and can be mounted on the vehicle's dashboard, in a vent, or the CD player via the three included mounts. The company explained its interest in Car Thing is about solving a need for customers who want a "more seamless" and personalized in-car listening experience. Although many cars today support Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, Spotify points out that the average age of a car in the U.S. is actually 11 years old and the average lifetime of cars is 18 years.

That means there are still a large number of cars on the road that don't support modern, in-car infotainment systems. Spotify Car Thing features a 3.97-inch touch screen with 480x800 pixels resolution, a large dial, and another button on the front. At the top, there are four preset buttons and a settings button.