Spotify’s weird streaming gadget with an equally unusual name, Car Thing, has officially been discontinued. All of the existing devices will stop working soon.
Around four years ago, Spotify announced Car Thing, a very plainly-named device designed to extend some of your phone’s functionality, particularly Spotify playback, to older cars while keeping your phone tucked away. Car Thing didn’t see wide release until February 2022, though, and professional reviews were less than glowing. By and large, the takeaway was that Spotify’s entry into the hardware market came via a device without much of a market. To no one’s surprise, Spotify stopped manufacturing Car Thing within months, citing « several factors, including product demand and supply chain issues. »
With adoption that low, it was inevitable that the other shoe would drop, and on Thursday, it did, with Spotify announcing that it was fully discontinuing Car Thing and all units would stop working after December 9, 2024.
