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Spotify Makes Its Android Auto and CarPlay Alternative Available for All Users

Spotify has finally decided to make its ambitious Android Auto and CarPlay replacement available to everybody in the United States, after previously requiring an invitation to purchase the device.
Spotify Car Thing 10 photos
Photo: Spotify
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The oddly-named Car Thing has therefore reached broad availability in the United States, and it can be purchased for $90 from the company’s website.

Just like before, it requires a Spotify Premium subscription and offers all kinds of features that make sense in the car, including support for voice commands via “Hey, Spotify” to control the tunes you’re listening to.

Whether or not Car Thing will become, well, a thing, is something that comes down to quite a lot of factors.

First and foremost, Spotify hopes its device can replace Android Auto and CarPlay in a vehicle where the two aren’t available. In other words, if you were thinking of upgrading the head unit in your car to get Android Auto or CarPlay, Spotify hopes that you might very well want to purchase its Car Thing and therefore listen to your favorite music in a more convenient manner.

Indeed, Car Thing does this brilliantly, as it comes with a large display, a physical dial for navigation, and touch support, but on the other hand, it’s limited to Spotify exclusively. Meanwhile, Android Auto and CarPlay also come with a Spotify app that runs on the larger screen in the car and plays the audio via the vehicle’s speakers while also offering support for a plethora of other apps.

So clearly, Spotify is going after drivers lacking such infotainment capabilities, especially as it has recently decided to give up on the car mode in its mobile app.

At this point, it’s not clear if Spotify wants to launch Car Thing in other international markets, but this is rather unlikely for the time being, especially as the device’s availability improves at a slow pace.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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