Spotify has just launched a whole new way of listening, but UK subscribers are missing out

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Spotify UK subscribers are missing a new piece of hardware just launched (Image: SPOTIFY • GETTY)

Spotify has reached a new milestone and is expanding into hardware for the first time in its history. The first product, the idiosyncratic name ‘Car Thing’, has been in development for a number of years. As the name suggests, it is a product designed to create music, playlists, podcasts and more while on the move. The Car Thing can be mounted on vents in your dashboard and is designed so that your phone can “do phone-related things” – instead of having the Spotify app on the screen all the time.

A prototype for the Car Thing appeared online in 2019. However, that version looks very different from the version that was eventually released. The completed Spotify gadget looks a bit like a smartphone from a few years ago, with some thick bezels, a rectangular shape and a touch screen that is just under four inches.

However, there are a few things that set the Car Thing apart from older smartphones – the most obvious is the large, round dial on the front.

Located next to another button, this dial can be used to easily switch to different songs, stations and playlists. Or you can just use voice commands to tell the Car Thing what to play next.

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You just need to use the ‘Hey Spotify’ wake phrase and then ask for a song, album, artist, playlist, station or podcast.

Other voice commands you can use for quick access to some new tunes while you drive include …

• Hey Spotify, play rock

• Hey Spotify, play my favorites

• Hey Spotify, shuffle today’s top hits

The Car Thing also features four preset buttons, so you can quickly access your most listened to content, such as the latest episode of the podcast you’re listening to, playlists you broadcast often, or songs from your favorite artists.

If you like the sounds of Spotify’s first foray into hardware, there are a few important things to know.

The Spotify Car Thing

Spotify Car Thing is the streaming service’s first piece of hardware (Image: SPOTIFY)

The Spotify Car Thing gadget

The Spotify Car Thing gadget is now available for free to Premium subscribers in the US. (Image: SPOTIFY)

First, Car Thing can only be used by those with an active, paid Spotify Premium membership. And second, it is currently only available in the US.

This latest blow is one big enough for Spotify users in the UK, Europe and other regions to swallow – but there’s one more thing that could make you wish you were in the United States.

For a limited time, only Spotify is offering the Car Thing, which goes on sale for $ 79.99, for free. Premium subscribers don’t have to pay the nearly $ 80 price tag for the Car Thing to get one.

All they have to do is pay a shipping and handling fee of just under $ 7 for the US, which adds up to $ 14.99 for Alaska or Hawaii. We’ll have to wait for more information on whether Spotify plans to bring The Car Thing to the UK and, if so, when the cool bit of technology could reach our shores.

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Neela
Neela
I work as the Content Writer for Gaming Ideology. I play Quake like professionally. I love to write about games and have been writing about them for two years.

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