Spotify iOS App Reveals Hints of 'Car Thing,' Podcast Paid Subscriptions and Comments

Since 2019, Spotify has been working on "Car Thing," a voice-controlled music and podcast assistant. After Spotify announced Car Thing, little else was said about it, but it appears the company is gearing up for some kind of launch.

spotify car thing
Back in January, Car Thing showed up in FCC filings, and now, images of Car Thing have been located in the Spotify app code. MacRumors contributor Steve Moser found several pictures of the Car Thing, giving us a clear look at the new device.

Spotify's original Car Thing had a small circular screen with several controls available on a side panel, but the new version features a much larger rectangular display that's closer in design to a smartphone, along with a large control knob and a smaller button.

We don't know what the control knob or the smaller button do, but Spotify's FCC filing described Car Thing as a "voice controlled accessory for phone/Spotify App with supporting display and buttons." It is Bluetooth-enabled and able to communicate with in-car head units, and it is powered from a 12V outlet.

spotify car thing 2
Photos of various mounts are also included in Spotify's app, indicating that Car Thing will be able to be attached to a dash or mounted to a vent in the car, and it will perhaps be sold with these mounting options. There are indications that directions will be supported in some capacity, perhaps through the Waze/Spotify partnership.

spotify car thing 3
When Car Thing was announced, Spotify said it was a test device developed to help the company understand more about how people listen to music and podcasts, and that there were no plans to make the device available to consumers. Spotify has, however, continued work on this device for the last two years and has changed its design significantly, which suggests it could eventually see a launch.

The Spotify app also has code for paid subscriptions for podcasts as the company gears up to launch its Anchor podcast creation tool. Spotify will eventually launch a paid podcast subscription feature, but there is some groundwork that needs to be established first. Spotify's paid podcasts will let Anchor creators that sign up offer paid podcast subscriptions that their listeners can subscribe to.

There's one other unreleased feature for Podcasts that's worth noting - comments. In the Spotify app, there's code for leaving comments on podcasts, something that's not currently available. Spotify users will be able to comment on podcast episodes, and creators will be able to respond.

Tag: Spotify

Top Rated Comments

AngerDanger Avatar
35 months ago
Pretty cool. Gonna probably stick with my vastly superior DIY project…



Attachment Image
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bigchrisfgb Avatar
35 months ago
It would be stupid for them to launch a device for your car. Most cars these days come with CarPlay and AndroidAuto. You can get plenty of aftermarket options as well.
There is no need for anyone to buy a Spotify only device, especially when you could even just mount your phone as well.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chrisone Avatar
35 months ago
I wish they would work on better iOS integration instead. A Spotify-only device makes little sense, better to be fantastic on Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
starman111 Avatar
35 months ago
Back in 2007 a friend of mine held up his iPhone and said, "Do you know what this is? It's the death of every mobile electronic device that only performs one primary purpose."

That was true in 2007, and it's certainly true now. This Spotify device is going to flop.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Will Co Avatar
35 months ago

Pretty cool. Gonna probably stick with my vastly superior DIY project…


Excellent attention to detail. I particularly like the way the front surface is lovingly crafted to look like Duct tape. And those flourishes on the top - pure class. Johnny could learn a thing or two from this.

Where can I buy one. Take my money.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SigEp265 Avatar
35 months ago

It would be stupid for them to launch a device for your car. Most cars these days come with CarPlay and AndroidAuto. You can get plenty of aftermarket options as well.
There is no need for anyone to buy a Spotify only device, especially when you could even just mount your phone as well.
I would love to have a device like this but with Apple CarPlay -- I am unable to change my factory headunit.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

apple card 1

Apple Ending Apple Card Partnership With Goldman Sachs

Tuesday November 28, 2023 3:09 pm PST by
Apple is ending its credit card partnership with Goldman Sachs, according to The Wall Street Journal. Apple plans to stop working with Goldman Sachs in the next 12 to 15 months, and it is not yet clear if Apple has established a new partnership for the Apple Card. Apple and Goldman Sachs will dissolve their entire consumer partnership, including the Apple Card and the Apple Savings account....
iOS 17

Everything New in iOS 17.2 Beta 4

Tuesday November 28, 2023 12:18 pm PST by
Apple is wrapping up development on iOS 17.2, with the update expected to come out in December. While we're getting to the end of the beta testing period, Apple is still tweaking features and adding new functionality. We've rounded up everything new in the fourth beta of iOS 17.2. Default Notification Sound Under Sounds & Haptics, there's a new "Default Alerts" section that allows you to ...
ios 17 namedrop

Police Departments and News Sites Spreading Misinformation About How iOS 17 NameDrop Feature Works

Monday November 27, 2023 5:11 pm PST by
Apple with iOS 17.1 and watchOS 10.1 introduced a new NameDrop feature that is designed to allow users to place Apple devices near one another to quickly exchange contact information. Sharing contact information is done with explicit user permission, but some news organizations and police departments have been spreading misinformation about how NameDrop functions. As noted by The Washington...
All New CarPlay Five New Features Article 2

What to Expect From All-New CarPlay, Still Listed as Coming 'Late 2023'

Tuesday November 28, 2023 7:44 am PST by
At WWDC in June 2022, Apple previewed the next generation of CarPlay, promising deeper integration with vehicle functions like A/C and FM radio, support for multiple displays across the dashboard, increased personalization, and more. Apple's website still says the first vehicles with support for the next-generation CarPlay experience will be announced in "late 2023," but it has not shared...
iOS 17

iOS 17.1.2 Update for iPhone Likely to Be Released This Week

Monday November 27, 2023 8:24 am PST by
Apple will likely release iOS 17.1.2 this week, based on mounting evidence of the software in our website's analytics logs in recent days. As a minor update, iOS 17.1.2 should be focused on bug fixes, but it's unclear exactly which issues might be addressed. Some users have continued to experience Wi-Fi issues on iOS 17.1.1, so perhaps iOS 17.1.2 will include the same fix for Wi-Fi...
Apple 5G Modem Feature Triad

Apple to Discontinue Custom 5G Modem Development, Claim Reports

Wednesday November 29, 2023 4:19 am PST by
Apple is discontinuing in-house modem development after several unsuccessful attempts to perfect its own custom 5G modem chip, according to unconfirmed reports coming out of Asia. According to the operator of news aggregator account "yeux1122" on the Naver blog, supply chain sources related to Apple's 5G modem departments claim that the company's attempts to develop its own modem have...
Apple Logo

Apple Discontinued These 5 Products This Year

Monday November 27, 2023 7:03 am PST by
As the end of 2023 nears, now is a good opportunity to look back at some of the devices and accessories that Apple discontinued throughout the year. Apple products discontinued in 2023 include the iPhone 13 mini, 13-inch MacBook Pro, MagSafe Battery Pack, MagSafe Duo Charger, and leather accessories. Also check out our lists of Apple products discontinued in 2022 and 2021. iPhone Mini ...
Google Drive

Some Google Drive Users' Files Have Mysteriously Vanished

Tuesday November 28, 2023 3:55 am PST by
Google Drive users have been warned not to disconnect their account within the Google Drive for desktop app, after a spate of reports of files going missing from the cloud service. Alarm bells began ringing last week on Google's community support site when some users reported files mysteriously disappearing from Google Drive, with some posters claiming six or more months of data had...