Is Car Thing Worth the Money?

In direction of the top of 2021, Spotify unveiled its personal in-car {hardware} with the good title of Spotify Automobile Factor. It is come at an attention-grabbing time when many automobiles on the highway can use Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Though some Spotify Premium customers had been capable of snag one totally free, is it definitely worth the present MSRP of $89.99? This is the whole lot you might want to know in regards to the Spotify Automobile Factor.

What Can Spotify Automobile Factor Do?

Keep in mind once we had a separate machine for the whole lot in our lives? We used a GPS unit, equivalent to Garmin, to information us as we drive, an MP3 participant to easily play our music, and our cellphone, purely for communication.

Spotify Automobile Factor harkens again to those easier instances by offering a bit of {hardware} that does nothing however play music from our Spotify library.

Now our smartphones can do all of the above, which makes some marvel why Spotify Automobile Factor even exists. This is the whole lot Spotify Automobile Factor can do and why it nonetheless has its place within the 2020s.

1. Voice Recognition


spotify car thing voice recognition information
Picture Credit score: Spotify

One of the necessary options of this machine is its voice recognition software program, which can assist drivers change playlists, songs, artists, and extra with out being distracted from the highway.

Spotify advertises a few important instructions like “play” and “present.” Drivers can inform Spotify Automobile Factor to play one thing by saying, “Hey, Spotify!” and it is going to be capable of play a particular playlist, tune, artist, podcast, and the rest in your library.

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You may as well ask Spotify to point out content material with voice instructions equivalent to “present my podcasts,” which can convey up solely your podcast library so that you can browse. Though this may occasionally current a barely extra distracted driving alternative, it is good that this selection is there.

Against utilizing your smartphone, Spotify Automobile Factor shows bigger tappable photographs, making it simpler to faucet the right podcast, tune, and many others., with out lacking.

2. Bodily Buttons


spotify car thing physical preset buttons
Picture Credit score: Spotify

Not like your smartphone, Spotify Automobile Factor comes with a number of buttons that make utilizing the {hardware} slightly simpler whereas within the automobile.

You may discover a big dial on the entrance of the machine to scroll by your library; you may as well press this dial to pick out a tune. Beneath the dial is a smaller again button that directs you to the earlier display screen.

On the highest, you may discover 4 customizable preset buttons. You should use them to register something, equivalent to your favourite podcasts and playlists. Additionally on the machine is a button to go to the Spotify Automobile Factor’s settings menu.

These could appear to be small issues, however whereas driving, these bodily buttons enable the motive force extra peace of thoughts of realizing precisely what they’re choosing without having to take their eyes off the highway.

3. Comfort Options


mounts that come with spotify car thing device cd dash vent
Picture Credit score: Spotify

Spotify Automobile Factor desires the machine to be as simple and seamless as attainable. Each time you hop in your automobile, your cellphone will robotically connect with Spotify Automobile Factor, making enjoying your music faster than even opening up the Spotify app in your cellphone.


The machine additionally comes with three completely different mounts you’ll be able to place on varied elements of the automobile, together with a CD mount, a touch mount, and a vent mount.

All of the UI components are bigger than within the Spotify cell app, making them simpler to see and faucet whereas driving. Though Spotify as soon as provided Automobile View within the app, which gave customers a lot bigger playback controls, it got here on the expense of usability.

What Different Choices Exist?

Spotify Automobile Factor is an attention-grabbing piece of {hardware} that may be a nice match for these with older automobiles with out an intuitive in-car infotainment system. However what are the alternate options to this $90 dependent media participant?

1. Android Auto & Apple CarPlay


apple car play in car dashboard
Picture Credit score: Apple CarPlay

Right now, most new automobiles include Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. Each the methods are implausible, as they exchange auto producers’ principally horrible infotainment methods.


They do greater than Spotify Automobile Factor by integrating a number of navigation apps, studying your textual content messages, letting you reply to texts and cellphone calls, in addition to supporting a number of multimedia apps like Pocket Casts, Spotify, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, and extra.

In the event you personal a car with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, you almost certainly aren’t buying a Spotify Automobile factor. Nonetheless, Spotify does point out on its product page that the Spotify Automobile Factor is suitable with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so possibly there’s a market for individuals who simply need a further machine like this, regardless of having a terrific infotainment system.

2. Smartphones


smartphone mounted with charging cable showing navigation in car

Smartphones are the commonest motive for individuals not wanting a Spotify Automobile Factor. Individuals who personal older automobiles with out enough in-car infotainment methods are already used to mounting their telephones on their dashboard or vents and utilizing the built-in voice assistant to vary songs. Smartphones even have all of your different apps built-in, like your navigation.

Nonetheless, that is the place Spotify Automobile Factor exhibits its benefits. With a smartphone, you will get distracted by switching between navigation and music purposes, all with a charging wire in your means at instances. Spotify Automobile Factor is out of the way in which and used solely to play music and podcasts. You possibly can have your GPS in your cellphone whereas controlling your music individually.

Spotify Automobile Factor additionally has easy-to-use bodily buttons and enormous UI components for comfort, making it a greater match for some individuals than merely utilizing a smartphone.

3. Third-Celebration Infotainment Techniques


aftermarket third party installation android auto apple carplay product
Picture Credit score: Pioneer

The final actual various to Spotify Automobile Factor is third-party infotainment methods. These normally have to get put in in your car and are costly, however now have the comfort of coming with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. As soon as put in, it ought to work as in case your automobile got here with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay within the first place.

Infotainment methods from BOSS and Pioneer look good and have varied options however can retail for round $300. Though some individuals discover them value the price, it is a hefty worth to pay for having the ability to play music barely extra conveniently in your drives.

Is Spotify Automobile Factor Value All of the Hype?

In case you have an older automobile and need an inexpensive technique to play your music extra conveniently in your each day commute and highway journeys, the Spotify Automobile Factor is for you. Uber drivers additionally appear to love having Spotify Automobile Factor of their vehicles in order that passengers can management the music straight from their telephones.

Spotify Automobile Factor has some implausible options, such because the 4 customizable preset buttons, and is a good concept for most individuals who want this know-how. Proper now, it is at a complicated worth of $89.99, however as soon as the value goes down, it needs to be a better purchase for loads of Spotify Premium customers.


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