Its like having a car radio all over again.
And that may be the entire point.
It’s essentially like a radio machine powered by Spotify.
Spotify
The unit seems most suited to older cars because newer models may already have easy Spotify access.
It’s essentially like a radio machine powered by Spotify.
Some cars, Volvo for example, even have a native Spotify player in the cars central touch screen.
Frank Albrecht / Unsplash
[Car Thing] might be good for older cars that dont allow for Bluetooth streaming.
Car Radio
Car radios used to be easy.
Youd have a volume knob, a tuning knob, and a few preset buttons.
Car Thing offers something similar.
So, why not just use your phone?
One reason is convenience.
Another reason is that anyone in the car can change the music.
This is obviously the safest of all options because you keep your eyes on the road.
Theres another possibility here.
Phone Accessories
Spotifys Car Thing is interesting for another reason.
Car Thing is a computer by itself, and uses the phone merely as a connected brain.
The difference is subtle, but significant.
Imagine other peripherals that bypass the phones own screen and controls, and only use its processing and connectivity.
Or how about a keyboard with a slot for a phone that uses it as a screen and brain?
[Car Thing] might be good for older cars that dont allow for Bluetooth streaming.
Phones are easily powerful enough for this already.
Our phones are as capable as our laptop computers.
Our phones absolutely have enough processing power to be considered mini-computers with accessories of their own, says Chase.
I personally find this exciting and I can’t wait to see what accessories are developed in the future.
