Spotify has today announced its first hardware device, the "Car Thing," which is an in-car dash-mounted music and podcast player (via TechCrunch).
Spotify is looking to provide a product for customers who want a "more seamless" and personalized in-car listening experience, especially in the large number of cars that do not support modern in-car infotainment systems.
The Car Thing is aimed at Spotify Premium subscribers with these needs and features a touchscreen, a knob for navigation, voice control features, and four user-configurable buttons for fast access to areas such as favorite music, podcasts, or playlists.
The user interface takes cues from the Spotify mobile app so that it is familiar to users, and there is the choice of touch controls, "Hey Spotify" voice commands, or physical navigation via the knob. The Car Thing works over Bluetooth, or via an AUX or USB cable, and there are a variety of mounts that come with the device to ensure that it fits to the dashboard correctly.
The device comes with three different types of dash and vent mounts to choose from, a car charger, and a USB-C cable.
Initially, the Car Thing will be made available for free for a limited period, with selected users only needing to pay for the cost of shipping. This is apparently because Spotify still sees the Car Thing as somewhat experimental.
When it reaches its full public release, the Car Thing will be available for $79.99, but it is as yet unclear when the retail release will take place.
Car Thing is now being offered on an invite-only basis via its website to U.S. Spotify Premium subscribers with a smartphone, where interested users can sign up to the waiting list.
