- SPOTIFY CAR THING DRIVER
- SPOTIFY CAR THING MANUAL
- SPOTIFY CAR THING SOFTWARE
- SPOTIFY CAR THING BLUETOOTH
If you placed an iPhone 11 next to the Car Thing, in portrait orientation, the Car Thing is a little taller, but also a hair narrower than the iPhone. Looking at the measurements, it’s a lot bigger than the first version.
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There’s not a lot of information about what the device actually does, or the software it’s using, but the included device photos give us a few clues. So far, the FCC has only published the results of its tests of the second-gen Car Thing.
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The FCC lists it as a Bluetooth phone accessory, so one thing at least is clear: It’s not designed to act as a stand-alone streaming music player with its own internet connection. The company was pretty clear that it had no plans to sell the Car Thing, and there have been no new details about the device or what Spotify may have learned from its testing.īut a recent Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filing spotted by The Verge shows a new version of the Car Thing, with a larger, smartphone-sized display, which could mean that Spotify is considering selling the device after all. with a small group of invited Spotify Premium users. In 2019, Spotify announced that it was starting to conduct “tests” of how people listen to music when in their cars by using a voice-controlled music and podcast device called “Car Thing.” At the time, Spotify said that Car Thing testing would only be conducted in the U.S.
The Spotify Car Thing might even become the cassette to 3. Still, with laws now making it illegal to hold or touch your phone while driving (as it should be), Car Thing does arguably deliver the convenience of music streaming to millions of vehicles that don't offer cloud or internet connectivity. Some may wonder whether there's a need for a Car Thing. Spotify said, “We don't have any current plans to make this specific device available to consumers, but the learnings from our test will dictate how we develop experiences everywhere you listen.” - but, that was back in May 2019. Of course, all of this is subject to change, and there's currently no known release date. You can ask it to play the music or podcast you want to hear, Say which song is playing and who the artist is, and Perform actions like pause, shuffle, skip, like, and dislike.Ĭar Thing will also regularly receive OTA upgrades as its always connected to a 3G/4G cellular network. Spotify is pushing the voice control method of operating Car Thing by simply saying “Hey Spotify”.
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The manual says “Link your Spotify account to the device”. Piping the music to your vehicle is either Bluetooth 4.0 (A2DP) or the provided 3.5mm Aux cable, while the provided power adapter offers a 5V USB connection for Car Thing from 12V cigarette lighter ports. Once the connections are made, you are guided through the setup of the device, with the use of a smartphone and an internet connection. There is a small screen to see what's playing in any case.
SPOTIFY CAR THING DRIVER
Also, with smart caching, your music and podcasts can keep playing when you lose connection.” Without any form of touch control, Car Thing has been enabled with voice recognition, a dial and preset buttons said to avoid driver distraction. It features a built-in 4G/LTE model allowing you “to play music and podcasts without using your phone, or any other device. It also comes supplied with several mounts - including a dash mount, vent mount, CD mount, and dock and screw. Spotify never confirmed nor denied any such product would ever make it to market, however as the FCC application seems to have ramped up, our guess is Car Thing is soon to be, a 'thing'.ĭelving deeper into the user manual also reveals the small compact unit measures 98 x 43.3 x 31.7 mm (WHD) and is finished in trademark Spotify green and black colour. Meet Car Thing - Car Thing makes it easier than ever to play your favourite music and podcasts in the car.Īs we first reported, selected Spotify Premium US users were given prototypes to use in their vehicles so that Spotify HQ engineers could gain a better understanding of music use in cars.
Furthermore, it offers more insight into the extensive speculation the streaming music giant was getting into the hardware market. Dubbed “ Music Streaming Device CT001” for the application, downloading the user manual reveals a more commercially acceptable name - 'Car Thing'. Now, we've spotted that Spotify USA Inc's application, initially registered on the 5th June 2018, has since been updated. Back in April 2018, we brought you news about Spotify's in-car hardware.