BMW Announces Plans to Launch Ultra Wideband Version of Apple's Car Key Feature by Early Next Year

[MacRumors]

BMW today announced future plans to roll out Digital Key Plus, an enhanced version of Apple's Car Keys feature that incorporates Ultra Wideband technology, enabling drivers to unlock and start their vehicle without needing to take their iPhone out of their pocket or bag. BMW says the feature will first launch in its new iX electric vehicle, slated to launch in Europe in late 2021 and in North America in early 2022.

Apple introduced support for digital car keys in iOS 13.6 and later last year, and BMW was the first and to date only automaker to roll out the feature, starting with the 2021 5 Series and later to a wider range of BMW models manufactured after July 1, 2020. BMW's current Digital Key feature is based on NFC technology and requires drivers to hold their iPhone near the driver's side door to unlock their vehicle.

Ultra Wideband is a short-range, high-bandwidth wireless communication protocol with precise spatial awareness, meaning that an iPhone will only need to be in the vicinity of the vehicle in order to unlock and start it. BMW says Ultra Wideband's precision also ensures that relay attacks, where the radio signal is jammed or intercepted, are not possible.

Apple started rolling out Ultra Wideband support to some of its devices in 2019 with the U1 chip in iPhone 11 models, followed by iPhone 12 models last year. Apple Watch Series 6 models are also equipped with a U1 chip, and given that Apple's car key feature is available on watchOS 6.2.8 and later, BMW's Digital Key Plus feature could extend to the Apple Watch.

As announced last year, BMW's press release confirms that Apple and BMW have been working closely with the Car Connectivity Consortium to establish the Digital Key 3.0 specification with Ultra Wideband, providing a global standard for the automotive industry.

In related news, Business Korea today claimed that Hyundai plans to adopt Apple's digital car key feature later this year, but the report did not indicate whether Hyundai plans to roll out the NFC or Ultra Wideband version of the feature. Similar to credit cards and boarding passes, digital car keys are stored in the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch.

(Thanks, Luke!)

Article Link: BMW Announces Plans to Launch Ultra Wideband Version of Apple's Car Key Feature by Early Next Year

 

[farewelwilliams]

Tesla needs to implement CarKey ASAP.

 

[mtneer]

I want to know if BMW will charge you a "subscription" to use your own can with your own key!

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Every car manufacturer needs that please.

 

[alexandr]

it would be awesome if they would retrofit(?) this, but i'll have to keep using the 'ol key

 

[alexandr]

I want to know if BMW will charge you a "subscription" to use your own can with your own key!

of course. they will have different tiers based on how many times a day you want to unlock your car.

 

[liberte1776]

Come on GM, your move to announce this...

 

[radus]

of course. they will have different tiers based on how many times a day you want to unlock your car.

probably because the are so "premium" and may be the smaller the battery the more you have to pay for services

 

[Ateam043]

Wondering if Volvo can implement this on current models. I can already unlock and start my car with their app. I know it’s different tech and all but one fan dream....

 

[FightTheFuture]

Can't wait till more cars have this feature. You just rub it against your upper thigh.

 

[peneaux]

Just make the key smaller so it's easier to carry. Using your phone to unlock is a stupid idea since the cellphone's battery don't last long. Everyday you risk not being able to enter your car!

 

[LFC2020]

What’s the point of this if you already have keyless entry and push start. 🤦‍♂️

 

[RomanEmpire]

Just make the key smaller so it's easier to carry. Using your phone to unlock is a stupid idea since the cellphone's battery don't last long. Everyday you risk not being able to enter your car!

This even works when the phone is „officially“ dead for some time.
Also, when was the last time your phone ran out of battery?

 

[Mettwurst]

BMW is so terribly inovative, wooaah!

 

[Mettwurst]

Tesla needs to implement CarKey ASAP.

Tesla has already been doing this for years......

 

[canonical]

The last thing I would want is for my body to be radiated as I walk around. Standard car remotes do this perfectly well, without emitting harmful radiation.

 

[_Spinn_]

Every car manufacturer needs that please.

Apple Car Keys is a really cool feature. Too bad it will take years before it would roll out to most cars (assuming other manufacturers would even want to adopt it). I'd love a car that supports it but my current car is 10+ years old and still going strong so with my luck I'd buy a new car just before general rollout to the whole auto industry and have to wait another 10 years before I could get a car that supports Apple Car Keys.

Would be cool if you could install the system aftermarket like remote starts.

 

[stringParameter]

As with credit cards, and now car keys, the real thing is easier imho.

It's easier to reach in my pocket and grab a card for contactless payment (rather than faffing around with biometrics, double tapping a home button, and whatnot on my phone).

It's also easier to just have a standard car key with a button you press to unlock your car.

 

[Freeangel1]

This is scary. seems like an easy thing to crack. All some car stealer needs to do is intercept the digital signal and steal the car.

 

[bviktor]

"unlock and start their vehicle without needing to take their iPhone out of their pocket or bag"

My boss just bought a 5 series and he says you still need the fob to be with you to start the car. Which makes the whole thing pretty pointless. Especially with this price tag.

 

[thewayfaerer]

Tesla has already been doing this for years......

Really? Since when does’nt their Solution depend in the Internet? I remember a report where a couple was locked out because the car had no Connection. Also, 2019 lots of owners where locked out because the App was down.

 

[alexandr]

This even works when the phone is „officially“ dead for some time.
Also, when was the last time your phone ran out of battery?

you know - that one time when she couldn't start the car...

 

[alexandr]

What’s the point of this if you already have keyless entry and push start. 🤦‍♂️

not having to carry the key with you. just about that.

 

[alexandr]

probably because the are so "premium" and may be the smaller the battery the more you have to pay for services

it does work that way)

 

[littyboy]

As with credit cards, and now car keys, the real thing is easier imho.

It's easier to reach in my pocket and grab a card for contactless payment (rather than faffing around with biometrics, double tapping a home button, and whatnot on my phone).

It's also easier to just have a standard car key with a button you press to unlock your car.

You don't need to take out car key on modern cars. The doors have a sensor that auto unlocks when your hand grips the door handle.