Spotify’s Car Thing Appears in FCC Filings with New Design and Bigger Screen

In May 2019, Spotify announced that it would publicly test a voice-activated smart assistant for cars that the company called “Car Thing”. But almost two years later, we haven’t heard much about the project – although that may change soon. A car thing with a completely new design and a bigger screen appeared in the FCC filings.

This new version of Car Thing appears to work the same as the 2019 version – it’s a “voice-activated Spotify phone / app accessory with supported screen and buttons,” according to a description found in the repositories. “Bluetooth enabled for communication with the car head unit. Powered by a 12V socket, ”the description continues bluntly.

The design, however, is radically different. The new Car Thing almost looks like a mini-tablet, with a kind of button and a big button. It is pictured at the top of this article. Compare it to this Spotify image of the version announced in 2019:

Image: Spotify

And if you’d like to get a better look at the new version, we’ve rounded up some photos of the new FCC filings in this gallery, including some of the live devices. Unfortunately, it’s hard to say anything about how the device actually works from the photos or what the software looks like.

Grid view

It is also not known whether this is a product that people will ever get their hands on. A product hitting the FCC does not necessarily mean that it will be released to the general public. And we never heard much about the 2019 version of Car Thing after its initial announcement (although it made a trip through the FCC as well).

Spotify did not immediately respond to a request for comment.