Spotify unveils ‘Car Thing’: A voice-controlled audio device for the cars

Spotify, the renowned music platform has yet again come into the limelight. And this time because of the recent hardware thing they developed. Dubbed as ‘Car Thing’, the device is an audio device for the cars, which can be controlled via voice commands. The number of smart voice assistants is burgeoning. Because of their AI-packed capabilities and their voice commands recognizing prowess, they have somewhat made our tasks hassle-free. Since most of the smart voice assistants are also integrated with the Spotify, there seems barely any use of the Car Thing. And the company has also explicitly mentioned that this device won’t make a debut commercially. The music platform also clearly implied that they have no intentions of bringing hardware devices. The company says that Spotify will primarily focus on being the top music platform. But why is the company spending so much of fund into a product that won’t release commercially? Well, the Spotify is trying to learn the music listening habits of people while they are driving. And to study the behavior, the company will be giving the device for some of its premium users for free.

How does Car Thing work?

The device plugs into the car’s 12-volt outlet for the power. It does not have its own data connection so it requires Bluetooth to connect with the user’s smartphone to access the music library. The device also pairs with the audio system inside the car. So if the users want to listen to the music using the audio setup inside the car, the Car Thing will allow that too. Like most of the voice assistants, the Car Thing is easy to use. It can be triggered with the voice command “Hey, Spotify”. And according to the users’ needs and desire, they can play any specific music, skip it or pause it. In terms of design, the device comes with a tiny remote. But unlike a remote, it comes with a circular screen at a side, which shows the music or audio track being played. Alongside the display, there are also four buttons, which can be used to access playlist presets. The test is supposed to start within the next few weeks. Spotify has mentioned that the test will only run in the US as of now. Although there is not a specific timeline about the test period, the test is said to be small and may not take place for a long duration. Apart from the Car Thing, Spotify has also trademarked Home Thing and Voice Thing. Since the company has already explicitly explained that it has no plans to release hardware devices commercially, we are still unsure how the company will use these test devices in the future.