Spotify said existing devices will still work and that the company will support units 'for the foreseeable future.

An email to customers, seen by Insider, shows the discount will be available until Aug. Spotify launched Car Thing as a free, highly limited release in April, making it available at first only by invitation to a select number of its paid Premium subscribers in the US. You can still buy the Car Thing from Spotify's website, for a discounted price of $49.99 (down from $89.99). Just like Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto, Spotify’s Car Thing will need a Wi-Fi connection and an app, in this case, Spotify, to stream songs. it was basically free (save for the cost of shipping) for Spotify Premium. And while Spotify has said it wasn't looking to compete with other in-car infotainment systems, it was up against stiff competition from the start.īecause many new cars come with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, which also allow drivers to control phone apps through their car's infotainment screen, Car Thing was best suited for older cars with clunky screens, or those without screens at all. Car Thing From Spotify is now available in the U.S. It then offered a public waitlist for the Car Thing last October, but it only went on sale for the general public in April.Īccording to the company's website, the Car Thing required a paid Spotify Premium subscription - it wouldn't work with a free Spotify plan.

Spotify first announced the Car Thing in April 2021, offering the gadget to a select few Spotify Premium subscribers on an invite-only basis.

Spotify car thing free with premium