Spotify has recently confirmed it will holding an event in New York on 24 April for a "news announcement". The invite doesn't allude to what the announcement will focus on, so it's currently anyone's guess what will feature.
However, some Spotify users on Reddit have said they have received an offer within the Spotify app for a device that would cost them $12.99 a month, for the device itself and a Spotify subscription. The offer even came with an image of a circular device mounted to a car dashboard and a voice command, indicating it could be used hands-free. Another Reddit user has claimed they received a similar offer, although theirs cost $14.99 a month, but has Amazon Alexa and 4G included, suggesting the device could be used on its own without a smartphone connected.
Some users have posted on Spotify's forums about the unannounced device, but Spotify has shut any rumours down by saying the offer has appeared simply because of a test. The company added “Right now we don’t have any news on this, but we’ve let the right team know it’s something you’d like to see.”
The users who received the offer have never seen it again, so there is a possibility that Spotify accidentally sent it out early and has since pulled it it. While there is nothing to suggest this will be the new device announced at Spotify's New York event, enough people have seen the offer to make it a contender at least.
Previous rumours and murmurings have suggested Spotify is developing its own voice-controlled smart speaker, akin to Apple's HomePod, after the music streaming service began dabbling with voice-control last month. The company has also recently advertised for new staff to help develop its first "physical products" and to "set-up an operational organisation for manufacturing, supply chain, sales and marketing."
There are just over two weeks until Spotify makes the announcement, so we will keep you posted of any updates in the meantime.