Matti Robinson
19 Jan 2019 17:34
The world's leading music streaming service has managed to keep itself on a narrow path not expanding the scope of the operation beyond simple streaming service, and perhaps that is what's responsible for the company's continuing success in entertainment.
However, profits aren't exactly piling in, and there are signs that Spotify needs some innovation to reinvent itself.
The service has recently adopted Google Maps support, expanded more to podcasts, allowed Connect feature for free users, and more.
One thing Spotify hasn't expanded to is hardware, but that is about to change, according to reports by the Financial Times.
FT reports that Spotify is preparing a hardware launch, the first for the company, later this year. The device is said to be a music player for your car.
The player obviously connects to the internet and works as a standalone Spotify player, and is controllable by voice. This allows users who don't have newer cars with fancy infotainment systems to enjoy streaming music easily during their commutes.
Rumors have it that Spotify's music player connect to the car speaker system by Bluetooth and will cost around $100. It will work without a smartphone, although it is yet uncertain if it has data connection built in.
Details are still sparse, and there's no precise launch date yet.