The cancellation comes despite other positive signs. Many cars can access Spotify via Android Auto, Apple CarPlay or built-in apps – Car Thing was especially useful for those with older vehicles who wanted an upgrade from music streaming but didn’t want to pair their phone. It was basically a Spotify player for cars that didn’t have streaming functionality, and it served as an informational experiment for the company. Spotify first shared the word Car Thing in 2019, but the final product didn’t reach the general public until early this year after several months of invitational sales. You can still buy the Car Thing at the time of writing for $50 (less than the usual $90). The company said that despite its short history, it has still unlocked “useful lessons” from the device, and that the car has remained an “important place” for audio. The withdrawal has hurt Spotify’s gross profit.Įxisting Car Thing units will still work as expected, Spotify said. In a statement to Engadget, a company spokesperson pinned the decision on “several factors,” including customer demand and supply chain issues. As part of its revenue data, the streaming service revealed that it was ceasing production of its Car Thing player. It didn't mention the number of units sold to date.Spotify’s less-than-stellar quarter can be attributed in part to a decision to exit the hardware business. Nevertheless, it shuttered the project and blamed several factors including product demand and supply chain issues. You control your car's audio via Car Thing using either 'Hey Spotify' commands or the device's dial, screen, and preset buttons.Īs part of the company’s latest earnings release, Spotify revealed its decision to stop manufacturing Car Thing negatively impacted its gross margin and cost the company €31 million (around $32 million USD). It features a physical dial on the front along with a 4-inch touchscreen, four microphones at the top, and four preset buttons for controls.

(Pocket-lint) - Spotify has quietly halted all manufacturing of Car Thing - its smart media player/dashboard accessory for cars - just five months after it finally made the product widely available for purchase.įirst announced in early 2021, Car Thing is designed to make it easier to control the Spotify streaming service on your phone from a car.