Spotify has launched its first smart player designed for cars. “Car Thing” hooks onto your car’s air conditioning vent and enables hands-free audio listening.
The device is designed to shift usage away from cell phones for music, news and podcast streaming. “Car Thing has one job and does it awesomely,” the company says on its website introducing the new gadget.
All you need to have to be able to use Car Thing is a premium Spotify membership and a smartphone with WiFi or mobile data capabilities. Voice recognition frees the hands from queuing the tracks, while the built-in dial lets you play, select and browse through Spotify’s offerings.
“Our focus remains on becoming the world’s number one audio platform—not on creating hardware—but we developed Car Thing because we saw a need from our users, many of whom were missing out on a seamless and personalized in-car listening experience,” the company said. “No matter the year or model of your vehicle, we feel everyone should have a superior listening experience.”
Currently available for US residents only, Car Thing is a limited product that will launch on an invite-only basis. It is being offered at no-cost except shipping, and is expected to retail for $79.99 when it becomes more widely available.