Spotify Car Thing launches in the US for older cars without Android Auto or Apple CarPlay

Spotify has finally released the Car Thing, an in-car gadget unveiled in April 2021. Previously available by invitation only, the Car Thing is now orderable anywhere in the US for US$89.99, including standard shipping. It is worth noting that the price excludes sales taxes, though. Also, it is unclear when or if Spotify plans to release the Car Thing outside the US.

Unsurprisingly, the Car Thing requires a Spotify Premium subscription or equivalent. The Car Thing measures 124 x 64 x 20 mm and weighs 90 g, although it is 6 mm thick, excluding the device's large dial. The Car Thing has seven buttons in total: four for presets and one for bringing up settings or muting the device, along with the dial and a back button. 

While the images suggest that you must operate the Car Thing with its large dial, Spotify has also equipped the device with a touchscreen. However, initial reviews have shown that using the touchscreen can result in a laggy experience. For reference, Spotify does not disclose what SoC or how much RAM the Car Thing has. Alternatively, you can control the Car Thing using voice commands, which the device hears through its near-field and mid-field microphones.

Supposedly, the Car Thing does a decent job of suppressing cabin, road and vent noise. Incidentally, the Car Thing will flag an 'Air vent interference' notification if it is struggling to detect your voice requests. The Car Thing is compatible with Android 8 and iOS 14 or above. The device ships with several accessories, such as a car charger for supplying power.

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