Spotify Car Thing

2024 - 5 - 24

Spotify's Car Thing Saga: From Innovation to E-Waste Disaster

car thing Car Thing - customer relations - digital innovation - e-waste - Spotify - technology - car thing

Find out why Spotify's Car Thing has become a hot topic, leading to frustration among users and calls for action. Is it the end for Car Thing?

The once-promising Spotify Car Thing has turned into a nightmare for owners as Spotify announced the discontinuation of the product, rendering all devices non-functional by the end of 2024. With users left in the lurch, many are pleading with Spotify to open-source the gadget to avoid it becoming a contributing factor to the ever-growing e-waste crisis. The abrupt end to Car Thing, introduced in February 2022 and now facing extinction less than a year later, has stirred up a wave of discontent as customers express their disappointment over the lack of refunds or alternatives.

As Spotify delivers the grim news of Car Thing’s imminent demise, users are left frustrated and questioning the sustainability of tech products in a disposable society. The parallels drawn between Spotify's handling of Car Thing and Google Stadia's closure highlight contrasting approaches in addressing product discontinuation. While Google offered refunds to Stadia users, Spotify's unilateral decision to deactivate Car Thing without consideration for its environmental impact has sparked outrage among consumers.

The countdown to Car Thing's shutdown has intensified, with Spotify urging owners to dispose of the once-coveted dashboard accessory. December 9, 2024, marks the deadline for Car Thing's extinction, leaving users scrambling to find alternatives. The fate of Car Thing serves as a cautionary tale about the pitfalls of fleeting tech trends and the importance of sustainable product design in an era of rapid innovation.

In the realm of tech discontinuations, Spotify's handling of Car Thing has become a point of contention, fueling discussions on corporate responsibility and consumer rights. As the e-waste issue gains prominence, the future of gadget longevity and environmental consciousness remains a pressing concern in the tech industry.

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Image courtesy of "Ars Technica"

“Unacceptable”: Spotify bricking Car Thing devices in Dec. without ... (Ars Technica)

Owners of Spotify's soon-to-be-bricked Car Thing device are begging the company to open-source the gadgets to save some the landfill.

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Image courtesy of "The Verge"

Spotify is going to break every Car Thing gadget it ever sold (The Verge)

The dashboard accessory, which went out of production in 2022, will become e-waste at the end of this year. Spotify isn't crediting or refunding customers.

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Image courtesy of "HYPEBEAST"

Spotify Is Scrapping Its 'Car Thing' for Good (HYPEBEAST)

The company rolled out Car Thing in February 2022 and ceased production of the device less than a year later. Car Thing acts as an entertainment console ...

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Image courtesy of "9to5Google"

Spotify will kill Car Thing units later this year, tells owners to throw ... (9to5Google)

Spotify has just announced that Car Thing, its discontinued car display, is dying. As in, the company will be killing any remaining units later this year.

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Image courtesy of "TechCrunch"

Spotify to shut off Car Thing for good, leading users to demand refunds (TechCrunch)

Spotify is notifying users of its Car Thing product that the devices will stop working after December 9, 2024.

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Image courtesy of "Digital Music News"

Remember Car Thing? Spotify Wants You to Throw It Away (Digital Music News)

Spotify's Car Thing will stop working in December, after the company discontinued it in 2022. Now it's e-waste and customers are pissed.

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Image courtesy of "BGR"

Spotify should have followed Google Stadia's lead when it killed Car ... (BGR)

Spotify killed Car Thing and isn't offering refunds to customers, which is very different from how Google handled Stadia's death.

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Image courtesy of "Techradar"

Spotify Car Thing runs out of road – and fans are utterly furious it's ... (Techradar)

As the big green streaming giant said at the time, "Our focus remains on becoming the world's number one audio platform – not on creating hardware" – and it's ...

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Image courtesy of "BetaNews"

Spotify is discontinuing Car Thing, purposely bricking devices and ... (BetaNews)

Spotify's venture into the world of hardware with Car Thing has proved an unmitigated failure. Having ended production of the device just a few short months ...

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Image courtesy of "Music Ally"

Spotify preps a Spanish AI DJ but will brick Car Thing device (Music Ally)

Code-furtlers have found references to a 'DJ Livi' in Spotify's app, who appears to be a Spanish-language version of DJ set to launch in Mexico.

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Image courtesy of "RouteNote"

Spotify kills their Car Thing - RouteNote Blog (RouteNote)

The device was a display and music streaming dongle for the road. Now, Spotify plan to kill the remaining devices out there. In 2021, numerous leaks of a ...

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Image courtesy of "Business Insider"

Car Thing users upset as Spotify bricks first hardware device (Business Insider)

Spotify is scrapping its first foray into hardware — and early adopters are feeling left in the lurch. That's because as of December 9, the streaming ...

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Image courtesy of "Gizmodo"

Spotify Is Bricking Car Thing, Leaving Users (Rightfully) Furious (Gizmodo)

Spotify recently emailed its customers, informing them that Car Thing will be discontinued and no longer operational after December 9, 2024.

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Image courtesy of "ExtremeTech"

Spotify Is Going to Turn Every 'Car Thing' It Sold Into E-Waste (ExtremeTech)

The quirky device has a small but dedicated fan base that is not pleased with the decision.

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Image courtesy of "Fast Company"

Spotify just killed Car Thing with no refunds. Angry customers ask ... (Fast Company)

Spotify will discontinue its Car Thing streaming device, offering no refunds to customers who bought them. Some want an open source option.

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Image courtesy of "Quartz"

Spotify is making its 'Car Thing' device trash — infuriating customers ... (Quartz)

The oddly-named $90 devices were Spotify's first attempt at hardware. Soon they won't work at all — no refunds or trade-ins.

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