When I was a teenager, there was only one feeling better than getting my driver's license: singing along to a carefully curated car playlist that you had to burn to a CD yourself. Today's teens are even better off. They can sing along to Olivia Rodrigo's "Drivers License" - arguably the most perfect car song in existence - and they don't have to spend hours downloading songs on their computer to do it at this point.
If you buy a new car in 2022, it's likely to come with a console-based music player that syncs with your phone to provide a (mostly) hands-free audio experience. But according to a 2021 IHS Markit report, the average age of cars on U.S. roads is now over 12 years old, which means most vehicles people actually drive require an auxiliary cord or Bluetooth adapter to play music through speakers. . This in turn forces you to look down at your phone to switch playlists or skip songs.
That's why Spotify's Car Thing, a Bluetooth-based voice-activated music player, was so eagerly anticipated when it only became available via a waitlist in April 2021. On February 22, Spotify will be available to everyone for $89.99, plus costs. Spotify Premium subscription ($9.99/month).
On a recent road trip, I test-drove Car Thing in an '06 Honda, and the experience was certainly better than burning your own CD.
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First: the basics
When you open the Car Thing, you'll see the device itself, a USB power cord for the car plug (also included), and various pieces of plastic for mounting the gadget to your dashboard, CD player, or air conditioning vent part. When you power it on for the first time, you'll see step-by-step instructions for connecting it to your phone via Bluetooth. From there, the Car Thing syncs to your sound system as easily as a phone, which means you do need some sort of Bluetooth or auxiliary connection. (My car is so old that I need a Bluetooth tape adapter.)
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Using Car Thing is almost like an upgraded version of using Spotify on your phone. You can say "Hey, Spotify" and ask it to play your latest album or your favorite genre, or choose from four favorite presets, which you can access via physical buttons on the top of the device. You can browse the music options using the dial on the front of the screen or by swiping and tapping.
why am i obsessed
On my recent five-hour road trip, the Car Thing quickly connected to my retro car's sound system. My road trip companion cycles between Fleetwood Mac and Radiolab shows with ease. From where I sit in the back seat, I'm trying my best not to use voice control to ask Spotify to play a joke album or playlist. (What can I say? I love pranks.)
That said, as an earth sign, the main benefits of a car for me are convenience and safety. It eliminates the need for you to wait until the stoplight to change your playlist - because none of us flip through podcast episodes while driving, right? When on a busy highway, my road trip companions can skip songs or change albums without taking their hands off the wheel or taking their eyes off the road. This device is essentially hands-free streaming for cars made before "streaming" existed.
If you tend to park your car somewhere where theft occurs, I would be careful to install it in an obvious location, but you could easily hide it in the glovebox and plug it back in before hitting the road. Additionally, you do need a Spotify Premium account ($9.99 per month for individuals) to use it, though support for free accounts will be added in the future.
TL;DR
Car Thing is easy to set up and even easier to use. This gadget is a must-have for anyone who's tired of spending half the morning commuting looking for the perfect playlist to start the day.
