AutoSpotify’s ‘Car Thing’ gadget finally goes on sale, but it’s not a must-have… yetCar Thing is Spotify-only for now, but it’s going to be opened to rival streamers tooWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
AutoSpotify’s ‘Car Thing’ gadget finally goes on sale, but it’s not a must-have… yetCar Thing is Spotify-only for now, but it’s going to be opened to rival streamers tooWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Car Thing is Spotify-only for now, but it’s going to be opened to rival streamers too
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Spotify)
(Image credit: Spotify)
I’ll be honest. I came to mock Spotify’sCar Thing. A $90 remote control that does what your phone already does? Thanks, but no thanks. But while I don’t think Car Thing is something I’d buy right now, that could well change very quickly – because while it’s starting life as a Spotify-only device, it’s not going to stay that way.
Car Thing is designed to sit between your phone and your car stereo, connecting to the latter via Bluetooth, USB or aux cable. It then acts as a remote control and voice control device, its fairly large screen and rotary dial enabling you to see and skip music without messing around with your mobile. And if it opens up as Spotify promises, it could be quite the thing indeed.
Open up, make room for me
I’m not a fan of service-specific hardware: it’s designed to lock you into a particular ecosystem, which is great for the ecosystem manufacturer but not so great for consumers. And as someone who doesn’t use Spotify for podcasts – I much prefer my third-party apps, which I use in my car via my phone – and who also uses a wide range of other musical apps, a device that only works with a Spotify Premium subscription is no good for me.
But according to Spotify, that’s going to change “in a few weeks” with support for other services, so I’d be able to control my Audible audiobooks – and it might even include other forms of integration. I can’t imagine being able to play myAppleMusic through the device given Apple and Spotify’s ongoing enmity, but a $90 gadget that doubles as a display forGoogle Maps, a player forAmazonorGoogleor TIDAL and perhaps a controller for other apps too sounds awfully tempting.
Of course, there’s a big difference between what tech firms promise and what they actually deliver – so if you’re considering a Car Thing for a yet-unannounced partnership that’s not a great idea. But if Car Thing turns out to be as open as Spotify says it’ll be, it could be just the Thing you need.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
Samsung Galaxy S25: every leak, rumour and spec we’ve heard before the launch eventThis is everything we’ve heard about the new handsets
This is everything we’ve heard about the new handsets
This case turns your iPhone or Android phone into an e-reader, but there’s a catchActually, there are a couple…
Actually, there are a couple…
