14 DAY TRIAL // Spotify has recently announced that Car Thing, its standalone device supposed to let users listen to their favorite tunes behind the wheel in a more convenient manner, is now available for all U.S. buyers.
Previously, the device could also be had with an invitation, so starting today, Car Thing can be yours from Spotify’s main site. The device costs $89.99.
“During our exploration phase, we discovered a lot about how people listen in the car, and for many users, how Car Thing can help improve that experience. We learned two major things from device owners: First, users were listening to Spotify in the car more than they had before. Second, Car Thing made it simpler to play exactly what they wanted, thanks to both the product interface (which they enjoy more than their previous in-car media) and the ease of using “Hey Spotify” to control what they wanted to listen to,” the company announced.
Hello, night mode!
But more important is that Car Thing is also getting a bunch of improvements, including support for a night mode.
You can easily figure out what this feature does, and given it’s a device specifically supposed to be used while driving, there’s no doubt such an update comes in very handy when driving at night.
“Plus, we heard from drivers some requests that we are working to incorporate into future Car Thing updates. These include Night Mode, which dims screen brightness in the evening, and an Add to Queue command, which lets you queue up your favorite music and podcasts by simply using your voice. This exploration and innovation is part of our ongoing commitment to building a truly frictionless experience for users across devices—in the car, at home, or on the go,” Spotify said.
Spotify has never discussed a potential international expansion of Car Thing, so for now, it remains exclusive to users in the United States.