Car Thing had a large, accessible screen and handy knob, but it didn't add that much value over a docked smartphone. While Car Thing was extremely short-lived, its demise isn't completely surprising. In addition to paying for the device, you also need a Spotify Premium subscription to use it (starting at $10 per month for one person), as well as a Bluetooth-paired phone using data or Wi-Fi. Published at : 11:31 AM (IST) Tags: android driving retired Spotify car view mode car thing retiring bluetooth Follow Technology News on abp LIVE for more latest stories and trending topics.Spotify's first hardware foray features a 4-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, and voice control via noise-canceling microphones. However, the Car Thing may not be needed because one can simply mount the phone on the car and control Spotify directly. The Car Thing may be helpful in the absence of the Car View mode. Some Spotify users mentioned in the forum thread that the company could be trying to push people towards Car Thing, which is the smart player from Spotify that fills one's car with music, news, entertainment, and talk, among others. Since there are other ways to handle music playback in cars, Spotify is de-prioritsing the Car View mode.

The Spotify interface can be directly accessed on the screen if one's car stereo dashboard supports Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. One can also use Google Assistant or Siri to launch songs on Spotify while driving, the moderator suggested.

Work is happening 'backstage' on 'improving the experience' in the car, the post said. However, Spotify is removing the Car View mode to 'make way for new innovations', the company said in the post. Irrelevant elements like menu buttons and album art were removed by the Car View mode when a person connected the app to the car over Bluetooth.

The Car View mode was meant to prevent drivers from being distracted while driving.

Concepts spotify car thing