Spotify kills their Car Thing
The long story of Spotify’s Car Thing is coming to an end to the dismay of its owners (wherever they are).
Spotify have announced that they’ll be discontinuing their “Car Thing”. The device was a display and music streaming dongle for the road. Now, Spotify plan to kill the remaining devices out there.
In 2021, numerous leaks of a mysterious device known only under the ridiculous project name of “Car Thing” came out. In 2022, Spotify revealed the device and settled on actually naming it their “Car Thing”. Now, just two years down the line the short-lived device has met its end.
Spotify discontinued production of the Car Thing the year it was launched, in 2022. They cited “several factors” behind the discontinuation, though it was probably mostly that no-one really wanted it.
The device offers users a smart interface for accessing Spotify that connects to their cars via Bluetooth or aux. However, most people shrugged their shoulders and continued using their smartphones as they always had before.
However, for the few users who remain out there, they will no longer be able to use their Car Thing after the 9th of December, 2024. Spotify recommends that owners recycle the hardware somehow.
The device was interesting as Spotify’s first venture into hardware. However, the timeline of its existence suggests that they will need to think a little harder about their next product if they plan to drop something new.