Spotify had a brief go at being a hardware company with the release of its Car Thing gadget, a device that served as a remote control for Spotify and could be attached to the vents in a car.
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Car Thing wasn’t a success, as the $90 product was only available for five months after going through an invite-only test in April 2021 and then a public waitlist to purchase one. General sales for Car Thing began in February 2022, and less than five months later, the product was stopped.
While initially seemingly like a good idea, Car Thing ended up being a remote control for Spotify that was playing on a smartphone, which significantly reduced the number of users interested in it. However, it still got into the hands of a very niche audience.
Unfortunately, owners of the Car Thing are now being told by Spotify to factory reset their device and responsibly dispose of it as the company, as of December 9, 2024, Car Thing will be discontinued “and will stop operating“. Spotify wrote in its FAQ on its website that it is discontinuing Car Thing as part of its ongoing effort to streamline our product offerings”. Spotify candidly notes there won’t be a new generation of Car Thing.
“As of now, there are no plans to release a replacement or new version of Car Thing,” writes Spotify
Spotify isn’t offering any refunds or any subscription credits to those who purchased Car Thing and, after December 9, will be left with a dead device. Instead, Spotify is telling those buyers to dispose of Car Thing responsibly.