A music player with a touch display and wheel to listen to your favorite Spotify music while driving: how Car Thing works
The car stereo changes dramatically with the first hardware device launched by music streaming platform Spotify. The Spotify Car Thing player features a touch screen, a thumbwheel and four physical buttons to navigate the app, but there’s no shortage of voice commands from the newly arrived Hey Spotify assistant.
The new device offers an entertainment system for drivers, even if the car isn’t set up for systems like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Car Thing is in fact a media player that allows you to use Spotify by listening to songs, artists, playlists and podcasts through your car stereo already installed on the car. All you need is an AUX cable, a USB output or Bluetooth to tune the touch display to the radio and start listening to your favorite music. At the moment Spotify Car Thing is only available in the United States and to use it requires a Premium subscription.
Spotify Car Thing: technical features
Spotify’s Car Thing is a small device with a 4-inch touch screen on which there is a round knob and four physical buttons. The knob allows you to switch between tracks in the playlist and manage the platform to the fullest. The four physical buttons allow you to set up quick access functions, such as a particular playlist or your favorite songs and artists. Il comfort di gestione alla guida è assicurato anche dal supporto dell’assistente vocale Hey Spotify: gli automobilisti potranno mettere in riproduzione la musica usando i comandi vocali integrati.
La connessione allo stereo nella vettura attraverso cavetto AUX, uscita USB o Bluetooth, a seconda del tipo di auto. Nella confezione sono inclusi oltre al display anche un cavo USB per l’alimentazione, un adattatore da accendisigari e tre diversi supporti per fissare il dispositivo alla plancia della vettura, al lettore CD o alle bocchette dell’aria.
Spotify Car Thing: quando arriva e quanto costa
Al contrario dei sistemi di infotainment come Android Auto e Apple CarPlay, che prevedono una completa integrazione tra smartphone e altri device presenti in auto come display e radio, Car Thing offre solo i contenuti di Spotify. It is therefore a device designed for a very different market, namely all those cars that still do not have a modern infotainment system.
At the moment Car Thing is only available in the United States and to use it you need to subscribe to Spotify Premium, which costs from 9.99 euros per month. Although on Spotify’s website the device already appears on sale at $79.99, about 67 euros at current exchange rates, in reality it is not yet possible to buy it: the streaming platform has made it known that it will be distributed by invitation only to selected Premium users, who will have to pay the shipping costs and will thus be able to start testing it. That’s why it’s not yet clear when Car Thing will hit the market and especially if it will also be destined to arrive in Italy.