Spotify will block all user Car Things in December this year. The company advises to throw them away

Spotify will block all user Car Things on December 9 this year. The company does not offer refunds for the equipment, which went on sale only in 2021 and cost $89.99. Ars Technica writes.

“We’re discontinuing Car Thing as part of our ongoing efforts to streamline our product offerings. We understand it may be disappointing, but this decision allows us to focus on developing new features and enhancements that will ultimately provide a better experience to all Spotify users,” the product support page says.

Spotify does not provide any other recommendations for device owners, except to reset the device to factory settings and “safely” dispose of the now unnecessary gadget “following local e-waste management regulations.”

Car Thing was released to a limited number of subscribers in October 2021, and to the general public in February 2022.

In its Q2 2022 earnings report, Spotify announced that it had discontinued Car Things. The company explained at the time that this decision was influenced by low demand for the product and supply issues.

The usefulness of Car Thing was always questionable. The device required a Spotify Premium subscription and a Bluetooth-connected smartphone with Internet access.

But there are still users who are upset by this news. On the forum of the service and Reddit, there are more and more requests to open the source code so that users can continue using the gadget.

But Spotify has so far ignored these requests.