Spotify has recently announced that it will be discontinuing its Car Thing music playback devices. These devices were designed specifically for use in cars, allowing users to listen to Spotify content through their car speakers and control the application using voice recognition, a touch screen, and preset buttons. Originally introduced in 2022, Car Thing was aimed at users with older cars lacking platforms like Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.
Despite initial testing and launch of Car Thing, Spotify later decided to discontinue the product due to low demand projections and challenges in the supply chain. While existing units were put on sale for a brief period after the announcement, Spotify has confirmed that all Car Thing devices will stop functioning permanently after December 9, 2024. The company noted that this decision aligns with their efforts to streamline their product lineup and focus on enhancing the overall user experience.
Spotify has advised users to reset their Car Thing to factory settings and dispose of it following local e-waste guidelines. They also mentioned that there are no plans to introduce a replacement version of the device. Despite the disappointment that may come with this announcement, Spotify reassured users that they will continue to develop new features and improvements to deliver a better experience for all Spotify users.
