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Spotify’s Car Thing Leaks, Looks Hard on the Eyes

Many people know Spotify as one of the world’s most popular music streaming services, and without a doubt, this is entirely accurate. With over 320 million users, Spotify was, is, and will continue to be the preferred choice for lots of people out there, not only on mobile devices but also in the car.
Spotify's original design for the Car Thing 6 photos
Photo: Spotify
Spotify's new Car Thing designSpotify's new Car Thing designSpotify's new Car Thing designSpotify's new Car Thing designSpotify's new Car Thing design
For Spotify, however, the car experience doesn’t just have to come down to Android Auto and CarPlay, so the company started working on its very own dedicated device called “Car Thing” back in 2019.

Certainly, a piece of hardware built by Spotify sounds uncanny, but the company was aiming to provide customers with more control over the content they listen to in the app. An initial prototype presented by Spotify two years ago looked pretty cool, sporting a small display for music playback information along with a series of touch controls likely for easy interaction with the app.

And yet, the Bluetooth-operated device has evolved a lot in the meantime, and an FCC filing spotted recently provides us with a closer look at the current version.

It’s hard on the eyes, that’s for sure, and it now features a bigger screen with a large knob and what appears to be a button. At first glance, Spotify has pretty much converted it into a mini-tablet that looks quite awful and it’s hard to believe such a big device would make sense in a car. Especially because new models already come with a large screen of their own, so having a second one just for Spotify is unlikely to be too many people’s cup of tea.

On the other hand, there’s no confirmation Spotify’s Car Thing can become a thing. According to the company itself, Spotify is still working on the project, so everything is currently in the testing phase, with no final decision made right now. For the time being, Spotify’s main goal appears to be “learning more about how people listen to audio in the car,” as a company spokesperson said.
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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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