The Car Thing, likened by at least one fan to the Zune of the 2020s, will cease to exist later this year following an announcement by Spotify late last week that the little unstoppable device was going live on December 9. It's not a suspension of technical support or software updates, but rather the simply designed car audio player will be disabled remotely and users should be prepared to discard it.
“The goal of our US Car Thing exploration was to learn more about how people listen in the car,” a Spotify spokesperson said when asked about Car Thing's death sentence. “In July 2022, we announced that we will stop further production and now it is time to say goodbye to the devices completely. Users will have until December 9, 2024 until all Car Thing devices are disabled.”
Spotify broke the news to Car Thingheads in an email on May 23, writing that the company is “shifting gears” and that “as this chapter closes, we're working on new, innovative ways to enhance your drives in the future.” A day later, the company sent a follow-up email explaining that “this was not a decision we made lightly and we want to make sure you have the right place to contact if you have any questions.”
Slowcore meets Slow Car.
The soon-to-be-obsolete devices have a 4-inch touchscreen, a large rubbery rotary dial, and lots of buttons. Size-wise, the Car Thing is 5 inches wide, 3 inches tall, and less than an inch thin. It's lightweight (three ounces) and mounts on a dashboard, air vent, or CD player and stays in place in said mounts using magnets. Adding to the confusion surrounding its very existence, the Thing still needs to be connected to your car stereo using bluetooth or cables, and requires a dedicated power source and your smartphone (via WiFi) in order to access its millions of tracks and podcasts Spotify. Users of the gadget control what's playing via the touchscreen, the dial or Spotify's increasingly clever “Hey Spotify” voice control feature, which has become especially popular with stressed-out kids who want to figure out their playlist.
The streaming audio giant began tinkering with a voice-controlled hardware device in 2019 as a way to test in-car listening habits and also fill the need of Spotify devotees with older cars — or slightly less smart or attractive interfaces — to enjoy favorite music and podcasts while driving. Car Things began rolling out to select US premium subscribers in April 2021 before arriving broadly in February 2022 for $89.99. But a few months later, Spotify criticized the breaks in Car Thing's production, saying on an earnings call that they “honestly haven't seen the volume at the higher prices that would make the current product financially viable.”
Not surprisingly, the company hasn't disclosed sales figures.
Get him support websiteSpotify said its decision to discontinue Car Thing was “part of our ongoing efforts to streamline our product offerings” and that “we understand it can be frustrating, but this decision allows us to focus on developing new features and improvements that will ultimately provide a better experience for all Spotify users.” The company suggests resetting the Car Thing to its factory settings before tossing it to the nearest e-waste recycling center. Spotify added that it has no plans to develop a new car device and will not provide an exchange benefit.
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