(Pocket-lint) - Spotify has launched a smart media player for vehicles. It s called Car Thing and comes with support for “Hey Spotify” voice commands. For the initial product launch, Spotify is giving out Car Thing for free to a limited group of Premium subscribers in the US. Here s what you need to know.
What is Spotify s Car Thing?
In its blog post announcing the limited release of Car Thing, Spotify described the device as a smart player that fills your car with music, news, entertainment, talk, and more . The device itself features a physical dial on the front along with a 4-inch touchscreen, plus four microphones at the top and four preset buttons for controls. You can control your car s audio through Car Thing using either “Hey Spotify” commands or the device s dial, screen, and preset buttons.
autoevolution 14 Apr 2021, 8:28 UTC ·
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In theory, Car Thing is a media player whose purpose isn’t necessarily to compete against Android Auto and CarPlay. However, it’s pretty clear this is a direction where Spotify hopes it would eventually expand in, especially as it labels the device as a “
smart player for your car.”
On the other hand, while Car Thing can provide users with Spotify access, Android Auto already does the same thing and so much more, so it’s hard to think of this device as a complete replacement for Google’s platform.
Car Thing comes with its very own touch-capable display, featuring two different physical buttons, one for going back and another designed as a dial for controlling what shows up on the screen.
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Spotify has launched its first smart player called “Car Thing,” which hooks right onto your car’s air conditioning vent and enables hands-free audio listening.
Spotify says that the Car Thing is “its own thing,” designed to shift usage away from cell phones for music, news and podcast streaming. “Car Thing has one job and does it awesomely,” the company says on its website introducing the new gadget.
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.