Spotify, a popular music streaming service, has announced the discontinuation of its first hardware launch, Car Thing. This news has left early adopters feeling abandoned as the company isn’t offering trade-ins and users are instructed to reset their devices to factory settings before disposing of them in accordance with electronic-waste guidelines.
The decision to discontinue Car Thing was made to streamline Spotify’s product offerings, according to a statement on their website. However, this move has put Spotify in a tough position as many users are upset that their devices will stop working, even though production has ceased. Some threatened to switch to rival subscription services while others demanded compensation or requested Spotify unlock the devices for developers to create their own software.
This response has put Spotify in a tough position, with some users feeling like they’re being punished for supporting the company. The Car Thing project was announced to end production in July 2022 and this move has soured the relationship between Spotify and its early hardware adopters. Some questioned their loyalty to the streaming service as they felt abandoned by the company.
