Spotify testing its first hardware "Car Thing": Here are the details

Swedish music streaming giant Spotify is now testing its first hardware voice-controlled music and podcast device called "Car Thing."

"While we know there has been some speculation about our future plans, Car Thing was developed to help us learn more about how people listen to music and podcasts. Our focus remains on becoming the world's number one audio platform-not on creating hardware," Spotify said in a blog post.

However, the test will be done in the US only, with a small group of invited Spotify Premium users.

"We might do similar voice-specific tests in the future, so don't be surprised if you hear about "Voice Thing" and "Home Thing," blog further said.

"We don't have any current plans to make this specific device available to consumers, but the learnings from our test will dictate how we develop experiences everywhere you listen," the blog post added.

Meanwhile, the company has launched a beta version of Spotify Site in India and has been successfully testing in markets including Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Mexico, and Brazil.

The newly launched app is a lightweight app which is built for low-end Android smartphones and it allows you to play your favorite songs and artists, on demand, discover new music, enjoy playlists made just for you, small app, installs fast, Keep track of storage, and keep track of data

There is no doubt that Spotify Lite Beta is a simplified version of the app and has a similar look and feel, but with a few key differences:

Uses less storage, making it an ideal option for older phones with limited capacity. The app size is approx. 10 MB.

Lesser use of data. Useful for when the network is patchy or users are struggling with the internet on-the-go, or for when users don't want to spend much on mobile data.

Optimizes performance to ensure limited battery depletion; relevant for older operating systems and devices.

Can be downloaded separately and can use it either alongside or independently from the main Spotify app.