Spotify tries to escape from your phone

Like many apps and services, Spotify’s big problem is that they are stuck on smartphones, at the mercy of the platform owners who they are in direct competition with.

The solution to this is their own dedicated hardware, and according to the Financial Times, Spotify is getting ready to do just that, gearing up to release a dedicated music player for in-car use.

The device will reportedly deliver audio to your car stereo over Bluetooth and will include buttons which can be assigned to your favourite playlists.  It will also respond to voice commands.

It is not clear yet where the device will get its streaming data, but built-in LTE has not been excluded, though the low $100 price point suggests this is unlikely. On the other hand, Spotify may offer the device as part of a 12-month subscription and in partnership with carriers, with whom they have a good relationship and which may make such a move more affordable.

It is not clear if this move alone will allow Spotify to escape from the black rectangle in our pockets, but in the coming 5G world this may only be the company’s first move into the dedicated hardware world.

Via The Verge