
Really designed to optimize hands-free calling, the VeoPulse can also play music/podcasts off your phone from a built-in speaker. The VeoPulse Car Speakerphone is less of a direct alternative to the Car Thing and more a separate device with some feature overlap. While it doesn’t have fancy features like easy-access presets, the button provides pretty solid control over your audio with volume, play/pause, and forward/backtrack buttons.īuy: Satechi Bluetooth Media Button 4.

The Bluetooth-connected button can sit right on your steering wheel and pairs with the media device you’re listening to (which, in this case, is probably your phone, already connected to your stereo). Up next we have the Setachi Media Button, which operates somewhere within the no man’s land between the Car Thing and other, more recognizable in-car audio options. So, not the same features, with a little more in the overall functionality (by way of your smartphone) and a little less in the control and convenience department when it comes to your audio consumption.īuy: Kinivo BTC450 3. A hands-free Bluetooth adapter, the Kinivo lacks the screen and other bells and whistles that come with the Car Thing but, physically, operates somewhat similar with a multi-function button to activate hands-free calling and two media buttons to control your music. The KinivoBTC 450 is pretty much as simple a Spotify Car Thing alternative as it gets. Its design, with the preset keys and physical dial, makes it much more user-friendly for general audio consumption than the Echo Auto. Thus the Echo Auto arguably has something of an edge over the Spotify Car Thing in terms of raw functionality it’s a jack of all trades, whereas the car thing is a specialist. You can play Spotify or Apple Music, stream Audible, listen to iHeartRadio, SiriusXM, and basically do anything else that you can with your phone - as well as all sorts of other Alexa-oriented tasks like checking your email, making phone calls, or accessing your Smart home accessories through voice control. As an Echo device, it’s essentially Alexa in a box, opening up pretty much everything that the Spotify Car Thing can do and maybe a little bit more.

The Echo Auto is probably the closest comparison that can be made to the Car Thing. Be sure to drop us any questions in the comments below! 1.


But, as we mentioned, the Spotify Car Thing is as ambiguous as its name - and is, quite literally, its own thing. Nonetheless, we cover a few close counterparts and a couple Car Thing alternatives you might want to consider, looking at where they excel and where they fall short. Down below, we run you through the closest devices out there in terms of functionality to the Spotify Car Thing.
