Spotify to reveal new mobile app next week with voice control, possibly new hardware

Spotify will be revealing a major update to its mobile application at an event next week, according to an invite obtained by The Verge.

The event will feature presentations from chief R&D officer Gustav Söderström, vice president of product development Babar Zafar, and global head of creator services Troy Carter.

The invitation specifically mentions updates to the mobile app, but is vague on details beyond that. It’s possible that the company will be rolling out its voice control feature to all users, something that’s been available for a small number of users for testing. It’s also possible that they will announced a new tweaked free subscription tier, which was rumored to mimic premium features on mobile devices.

While unlikely, Spotify could launch its rumored smart speaker competitor at the event. Similar to the Google Home, or Apple HomePod, such a device from Spotify is said to do basic tasks such as set timers, but most importantly will be able to play music through Spotify through voice recognition. However, Spotify will likely be behind unless it partners with Amazon’s Alexa or Google Home, otherwise the company will have to start at square one with its smart assistant work.

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