If you bought a Spotify Car Thing, I hope you like bricks
Spotify is killing off the Car Thing, and it's about to become a brick. Customers can get their money back, but the device will be useless
Remember Spotify’s Car Thing? And yes, that really is the name. It’s Spotify’s smart display that brings dedicated music control to your car. It lets you control the music playing on your phone, without ever having to touch it. Did you buy one? Well, I hope you like bricks – because that’s what this device is about to become.
Less than a year after it hit the market, the $90 Car Thing is about to become as useful as a plastic brick. Customers were notified that as of 9 December, the Car Thing will be rendered completely inoperable. Why? Because, reasons. Spotify’s official line is “We’re discontinuing Car Thing as part of our ongoing efforts to streamline our product offerings.”
Originally, Spotify wasn’t planning to refund customers. It was a classic case of “thanks for your money, now please dispose of our useless gadget responsibly.” However, after a class-action lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York, Spotify had a change of heart. Customers can now get their money back, but it’s not as simple as it sounds. You’ll need to contact Spotify support, provide proof of purchase, and possibly do a little dance. Maybe not that last part.
The Car Thing’s journey was rocky from the start. It debuted on an invite-only basis in April 2021, with a public waitlist following later that year. By February 2022, it was available to the masses for $90, and by July, production had already ceased. Essentially, it was a glorified remote control for Spotify on your phone, which severely limited its appeal. Yet, despite its short-lived existence and limited functionality, it managed to carve out a niche community of users. Many found inventive ways to repurpose the device, from desk setups to keyboard integrations.
The real kicker is that the Car Thing could have had a second life if Spotify had open-sourced it. Tech enthusiast Josh Hendrickson revealed that the Car Thing runs on Linux, and its source code is publicly available on GitHub. However, the device’s weak hardware – a measly Amlogic processor, 4GB of eMMC storage, and 512MB of RAM – makes it impractical for anything else.
Spotify’s decision to kill the Car Thing comes as the company faces a series of challenges. Price hikes in 2023 and more expected in 2024, combined with a 17% reduction in staff, have left a sour taste in the mouths of many subscribers. Despite the refunds, the legacy of the Car Thing will likely be remembered as a cautionary tale of a company stepping out of its comfort zone and stumbling spectacularly.
For those still clutching their Car Things, it’s time to dig out those old receipts and prepare for the bureaucratic ballet of getting your refund.
Connor Jewiss
