when will car thing spotify become available

The Spotify smartphone app is already easy to navigate, and the huge screens on most phones nowadays make it far more effortless. It’s not like we need the thing.Another reason Car Thing didn't take off was that many Spotify users don't see the need for it. Perhaps it’s not such a wrench that the Car Thing is only available in the States at present. There’s a case to be made that it’s a little safer to use the oversized display or voice control, but you could just start your podcast before you pull out of the driveway like everyone else. Or you could forgo the Car Thing and just rely on mounting your phone on your dashboard, streaming your Spotify through your car’s Bluetooth connection, or using your car’s infotainment system to get the job done if you’re fancy.

At least, that’s what the streaming service claims. There’s no battery, so it’ll take up your 12-volt port (‘four things in order to function’) the entire time you’re using it, but it’ll let you listen to Spotify for longer. There’s a physical controller, a touchscreen display, or voice control if you’re an eyes-on-the-road kinda driver. After that, it’s possible to control your tunes via the larger display. It’s installed into your car in much the same way as old GPS units used to be. Oh, yes, and it needs to output to your car’s speakers, so make that ‘three things in order to function’. In other words, Spotify’s gadget will only work if you’ve got all the ingredients needed to stream Spotify without it. Users need a Spotify Premium subscription (that’s non-negotiable), and a smartphone with a working data connection (ditto).

The question has to be: Why the heck would you want one of these? The Car Thing requires two things in order to function, not including the car. But many Americans will tell you that’s just how it should be. So it’s less a case of ‘anyone’ and more one of ‘Americans’. Anyone can now buy one, for $90 (R1,350), provided you live in the United States. That’s changed, but it hasn’t changed enough. Initially, the $80 (R1,200) in-car audio device was available by invitation only. But, like, in mid-April, so there was no chance it was a joke. It does make the Car Thing (or pays someone else to), a device we first saw in April last year. Keep on some Spotify hardware in your car? No, not your cellphone.

When will car thing spotify become available