The Spotify Car Thing is officially on sale to the masses. The limited release trials are over and now anyone can buy it for $89.99.
The premise of the small music player remains the same. It aims to provide deep Spotify access to older cars that don’t have today’s handy Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity features. It features a touchscreen, a dial, preset buttons and voice control. The interface is a car-friendly copy of the Spotify app on your phone with large icons intended to make input easier than what you could tap on your smartphone.
Some updates to Car Thing come based on Spotify’s lessons in the one-year trial it’s been through. For example, it develops a night mode for the screen and also comes an “Add to queue” command. The latter is essential if you and your friends are trying to put together a playlist via voice command for a long road trip. We’re a little surprised it didn’t have a night mode to begin with, but at least Spotify now integrates it.
If you want a Car Thing, make sure you have the right hardware to make it work – you also need to be a Spotify Premium user. It requires a power source (12V outlet or USB outlet), and you should also be able to connect your phone to the car’s audio system via Bluetooth, USB cable or aux cable, as the Car Thing will not connect make with the audio system. If your car is old enough that it doesn’t have one, then you’re out of luck – of course you can always install a newer head unit to access some of those connectivity options, but that will cost even more money.
Those who are interested in buying can find the Spotify Car Thing on Spotify’s official website here.