Now that’s something I hadn’t thought about… being able to unlock and start all your cars with one device, regardless of make/model.
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Apple's Digital Car Key Feature Set to Gain U1 Ultra Wideband Support With Mid-2021 Spec Update
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I hope so too.
I'd really like to see an option to have an after market solution installed to give older cars support for Apple Car Key. This is already an option for remote start and CarPlay so why not Apple Car Key? Most people can't afford to buy a new car every few years so without an after market option this will take many years to roll out to everyone. Personally my current car is 10 years old so if the next one I buy in a few years doesn't have this option I could be waiting another decade before having this available to me.
Some cars already have the UWB tech for it. (BMW and VW, that i know of. But i'm sure there are other brands)
But they only started adding it last year or so. Older cars will be out of luck.
And of course it is up to the car maker to decide, if they will update the car.
Robert.Walter
macrumors 68040
You have “keyless” go. Idea here is to discard fob less thing cost for makers one less thing to carry for drivers.
Robert.Walter
macrumors 68040
Ford has had PIN access since the 1990’s. Deleted it one year and customers were pissed. It’s a very popular option.
Robert.Walter
macrumors 68040
alexandr
macrumors 603
yes, and not just cars either 🙂 i have 2 fobs right now and neither are for my car 🙂)
Anyone who has ever used the in car entertainment in a Land Rover will be able to testify that car manufacturers and technology have not got a great track record. Security, doubly so. A cynical part of me wonders if it is partially intentional, more stolen / written off cars means potentially more sales.
Johnny907
macrumors 68020
It’s just shocking because this is a very expensive and in demand vehicle, so you would expect the security involved in both unlocking and starting it would be as rock solid as possible, but after watching what turned out to be a crack head steal (that’s not hyperbole, the vehicle was recovered last week and the interior looked like an evidence locker) it in a matter of seconds we were both stunned.
Love all the, why wouldn't I just use my FOB comments. I would LOVE to not have to worry about carrying around my car keys, especially for an active lifestyle. I wear my Apple Watch for almost everything, but I'd rather not have to worry about keeping keys somewhere secure while kayaking, mountain biking, snowboarding, etc. Heck, I dropped the stupid key FOB in the lake once stepping from the boat the dock and had to fish them back out.
You know what doesn't ever fall out of my pockets, my Camelbak, etc.? My watch that is strapped to my arm.
I would even suggest they should expand on the capabilities. Why can't my watch/phone know all my favorite settings and then if I'm in the drivers seat (ultra-wideband is supposed to be location aware) set the car's features to MY default settings no matter what car I'm in. Radio presets, temperature controls, etc. If it's the same kind of car and has memory settings, put the seat and mirrors where it should be, etc.
Imagine if your business has fleet vehicles, and you could just step into any one of them you're authorized for and it is already configured for you. Imagine taking the shuttle to the rental car location and not needing to do anything, your phone or watch is your key, you unlock your car and again, everything is configured to your preferences.
This could also offer the easy ability to "loan" your car to anyone via iMessage and set controls. Time limits, teen driver limitations, etc. could all be set remotely. Maybe you don't need to give a key to a valet at all, maybe you just assign them permission to move your car while you are at X location or for Y amount of time.
Heck, let it pass the information to automatically connect my iPhone to the car's bluetooth so I can use CarPlay without any configuration too.
You know what doesn't ever fall out of my pockets, my Camelbak, etc.? My watch that is strapped to my arm.
I would even suggest they should expand on the capabilities. Why can't my watch/phone know all my favorite settings and then if I'm in the drivers seat (ultra-wideband is supposed to be location aware) set the car's features to MY default settings no matter what car I'm in. Radio presets, temperature controls, etc. If it's the same kind of car and has memory settings, put the seat and mirrors where it should be, etc.
Imagine if your business has fleet vehicles, and you could just step into any one of them you're authorized for and it is already configured for you. Imagine taking the shuttle to the rental car location and not needing to do anything, your phone or watch is your key, you unlock your car and again, everything is configured to your preferences.
This could also offer the easy ability to "loan" your car to anyone via iMessage and set controls. Time limits, teen driver limitations, etc. could all be set remotely. Maybe you don't need to give a key to a valet at all, maybe you just assign them permission to move your car while you are at X location or for Y amount of time.
Heck, let it pass the information to automatically connect my iPhone to the car's bluetooth so I can use CarPlay without any configuration too.
First of all, how often are you going to a place with valet, lol. This seems like a minor issue. If a place does have valet, hopefully someone there (the business) has an iPhone and you'd just send them a temporary key to share for a short time, right?
rye9
macrumors 65816
Do you ever have issues with your phone key? If not, which iPhone do you have? On my iPhone 8, I had no problems for the 2+ years I had the phone. The moment I got an iPhone 12 mini, the phone won't connect to my Tesla about 2-3 times per week. I've had open cases with both Tesla and Apple about this but everyone gave up. I've seen similar reports elsewhere online, with similar timeframe so I'm not sure if it's a hardware issue with new phones, or if something w/ the software/firmware changed around the launch of the iPhone 12. Either way, it's very frustrating as I used to have no issues and now I'm plagued with issues that neither company can figure out
I think there are a lot of people that are used to “some new thing” being “all the features of the old thing.. PLUS”. While there’s still opportunities for that, there’s a wide area of “some new thing” just being “providing convenience because the tech makes it possible”. 🙂
