Spotify Ends Car Business, Device Will Be Unusable in December – Why? : Tech : Tech Times

Once a device is discontinued, Spotify terminates the Car Thing, which means that once it is disabled, it will no longer function or serve any purpose.

In a recent announcement, Spotify said the device would only work until December 2024, before removing it completely even though users initially purchased it.

Since its inception in 2021, Spotify has advertised it as a replacement for a driving mode called “Car View,” but it was discontinued moments after its release.

Spotify is completely discontinuing Car Thing

(Image: Spotify)

Spotify emailed Car Thing owners and announced that the device would be discontinued entirely, saying it would no longer provide a seamless infotainment experience for vehicles that don’t have it.

While there’s no telling what will happen by then, it’s assumed that connecting to Car Thing via mobile to stream music will no longer work.

The music streaming company recommends factory resetting the Car Thing before recycling it or in accordance with applicable guidelines for electronic devices.

It wouldn’t matter if the device was used lightly and worked perfectly, because Spotify wouldn’t continue operating.

Read also: Production of Spotify Car Thing has been permanently suspended; This is what will happen to the units sold

The car will be unusable in December

According to Spotify, on December 9, 2024, Car Thing will stop working and the company will brick it, which will mean that users will find no meaning in it.

However, there are many users who, before this announcement, found a way to give it a new life by installing Android on it, and various forums on Reddit and other platforms provide instructions on how to do so.

Spotify Car Thing and Car View

Spotify Car Thing was originally leaked in 2018, but was only confirmed three years later in 2021 as a gadget that users can use in their vehicles to connect to their smartphones and replace the Car View feature.

Initially, it offered a smooth interface that focused on driving safety. At the same time, it allows users to easily control music, eliminating other possible distractions while using the phone.

In 2022, Spotify initially sold them to users in the U.S. for $89.99, and it was first made available to people on a waiting list who had been waiting for the device for almost a year.

At launch, it was priced $10 more than the company’s original offering price, and it was a device intended for cars without an infotainment system that provided the same experience.

However, Spotify discontinued the service two years ago, a few months after it was launched. This was also a time when Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were widely available in new vehicles.

Even though users paid $90 for it two years ago, Spotify no longer allows it to work, unlike old smartphones which can still be used but can’t be updated and it doesn’t matter if they still work perfectly.

Related article: Spotify is at odds with music publishers over alleged unlicensed content