Spotify rumoured to be releasing its in-car music player later this year

It’s not the first time we’ve heard that Spotify has plans to release its own hardware. But now the latest round of rumours claim the in-car music player will be coming later this year. The device will be priced around US$100.

The music streaming service hopes to deliver a more direct music experience to its customers—instead of having them rely on platforms like Apple’s CarPlay or Google’s Android Auto. Rumour has it the device will sync with car stereos via Bluetooth and have buttons that you can preset to correspond to your favourite playlists. It’ll also support voice commands similar to what the current Spotify mobile app offers.

What isn’t known is if it’ll allow you to store music on it or if there will be LTE connectivity. Spotify’s challenge here is to get people to buy the device. As The Verge says, it might be more appealing if the company bundles it with its premium service.