NFC-Based Digital Key Specification Released Ahead of Apple's Rumored CarKey Feature on iPhone

[LogicalApex]

What BMW models will this support? Funny that the graphic shows the i8 which just ended production last month and will not have a successor.
[automerge]1588610282[/automerge]


And then when they backtracked, iDrive 6 didn't even allow CarPlay to go full screen. My 2020 X4M Competition displays iDrive 3/4 of the screen with a giant "CarPlay" icon at the right in split screen. It took people on eBay to release a hack via USB port to go full screen... BMW still no comment.

My MY2020 supported full screen CarPlay without any modifications. So they updated that at some point. 🤷‍♂️

I had CarPlay free for a year and was surprised, but after using it for a bit I wouldn’t have purchased it. Mainly because iDrive is better in almost every way.

Since you mentioned CarPlay on a BMW, I have a 2017 430xi, purchased CarPlay then promptly disabled it, total waste of money. CarPlay maps didn't have the detail, smooth operation, feature set and real-time updates as the BMW maps and as you intimated, only filled half the screen (maybe an intentional act by BMW). Anyway, the BMW iPhone integration (music, phone, contacts, maps, etc.) was far superior to CarPlay.

Agreed!

When shopping for my car I had CarPlay as a must have feature. But iDrive is so much better I don’t use CarPlay at all. BMW really did a great job on the car infotainment system.

then BMW must have an exceptional implementation because Carplay is worlds better than most automakers navigation and audio systems.

Their system is extremely good out of the box. Probably the best in the industry and one of only a few that can currently beat out CarPlay.

 

[Ingster]

If I recall correctly, one of my Tesla-owning friends uses Bluetooth on his phone for car access, normally, but also has a credit-card-sized NFC card in his wallet for backup (i.e. if your phone battery dies or you lose your phone but not your wallet). That sounds to me like Tesla has both BT and NFC.

Yes the Tesla model 3 (and probably model Y) have an NFC chip in the B pillar for the card to unlock the car, and also an NFC reader behind the cup holders for 'starting' the car, but the BT will work for the phone for both unlocks and 'starting' so just needs to be in the car.

The great thing about teslas are remote functionality with the phone, i've seen a youtube video where the tesla owner from Norway was stuck in the Philippines and managed to get his friend to collect the car from the airport parking lot in norway, the owner via the tesla app opened the car remotely and 'started' the car allowing his friend to drive the car back home to charge and be cleaned prior to his arrival home (which was delayed due to covid)

 

[calzon65]

My MY2020 supported full screen CarPlay without any modifications. So they updated that at some point. 🤷‍♂️

I had CarPlay free for a year and was surprised, but after using it for a bit I wouldn’t have purchased it. Mainly because iDrive is better in almost every way.



Agreed!

When shopping for my car I had CarPlay as a must have feature. But iDrive is so much better I don’t use CarPlay at all. BMW really did a great job on the car infotainment system.


Their system is extremely good out of the box. Probably the best in the industry and one of only a few that can currently beat out CarPlay.

Well said LogicalApex.

When I purchased my 2017 BMW, I insisted on CarPlay and was the first person at my BMW dealership to purchase CarPlay. Unfortunately, none of the dealership staff had any experience with CarPlay back then, but I remember the sales manager asking, "are you sure you want CarPlay, BMW smartphone integration is pretty good". I replied that I knew what I was talking about and insisted on purchasing the CarPlay option ... it turned out to be a $300 mistake because, like you said, BMW smartphone integration is pretty good out of the box. I have the 2017 BMW version, so I can only imagine BMW integration is even better now, maybe CarPlay is better too.

I have written a lot about CarPlay and my bad experience comparing CarPlay to BMW's smartphone integration. I also travel a lot and when I rent cars, I will admit, CarPlay is usually a good experience with other auto manufactures outside BMW.

I know BMW has been working on smartphone integration for well over 15 years and my old 2007 BMW smartphone integration was not great. BMW's long head start on CarPlay might be why their smartphone integration is so much better or maybe Apple is limited because CarPlay has to be compatible with so many car models (i.e., the least common denominator). Anyway, it's a complicated discussion and there is a lot of passion across the different camps.

 

[JuBe]

It appears that there might be a typo in the screenshot demo.

 

[Gutwrench]

So you won’t have to carry your fob around at all, just the phone that you already do. Getting rid of tons of little tokens we have to lug around for daily activities is progressive in my book.

Assumably this is only a start so I wonder where this is actually headed.

Having to dig a phone out of my pocket and then perform some verify routine is not as convenient as walking up and grabbing the door handle and the car unlocks. Isn’t this what most keyless remote from manufacturers do?

As for the other uses (sending temporary keys, etc.) they seem fairly obscure.

 

[routine_analyst]

Well said LogicalApex.

When I purchased my 2017 BMW, I insisted on CarPlay and was the first person at my BMW dealership to purchase CarPlay. Unfortunately, none of the dealership staff had any experience with CarPlay back then, but I remember the sales manager asking, "are you sure you want CarPlay, BMW smartphone integration is pretty good". I replied that I knew what I was talking about and insisted on purchasing the CarPlay option ... it turned out to be a $300 mistake because, like you said, BMW smartphone integration is pretty good out of the box. I have the 2017 BMW version, so I can only imagine BMW integration is even better now, maybe CarPlay is better too.

I have written a lot about CarPlay and my bad experience comparing CarPlay to BMW's smartphone integration. I also travel a lot and when I rent cars, I will admit, CarPlay is usually a good experience with other auto manufactures outside BMW.

I know BMW has been working on smartphone integration for well over 15 years and my old 2007 BMW smartphone integration was not great. BMW's long head start on CarPlay might be why their smartphone integration is so much better or maybe Apple is limited because CarPlay has to be compatible with so many car models (i.e., the least common denominator). Anyway, it's a complicated discussion and there is a lot of passion across the different camps.

iDrive 6 (cars with circular digital speedometers) vs iDrive 7 (oblong digital speedometers) is where the problem lies. iDrive 6 doesn't force CarPlay full screen ... shows icon at right. Also seems to get locked out quite frequently. You tap on the tiny CarPlay icon at the bottom left of a screen (placement an afterthought?) and it does nothing. I've had to re-link the system multiple times. Eventually I said f*ck it and disabled it altogether. BMW supports apps natively, so I use the built in nav, spotify, heads up display menus, voice control, etc.

When I spoke to BMW IDX on the phone, I gave them a handful of issues related to this glaring UX *********. Why release a brand new car in 2020 with terrible integration and provide no software updates when Tesla and Apple do it quite frequently for existing users? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[compwiz1202]

key fob only does one thing.

Not if you have remote start. We can hit lock and then hold the circular arrow button to remote start. Not even sure if that circular arrow does anything by itself. Wish some combo would open the back. Seems so dumb to not have that on a fob on inside a car, especially with these contactless pickup where they say to open it from inside. Would do that if they gave that as a choice
[automerge]1588715763[/automerge]

Assumably this is only a start so I wonder where this is actually headed.

Having to dig a phone out of my pocket and then perform some verify routine is not as convenient as walking up and grabbing the door handle and the car unlocks. Isn’t this what most keyless remote from manufacturers do?

As for the other uses (sending temporary keys, etc.) they seem fairly obscure.

Yea ours has the button on the handle too, and even if I want to remote start. I know the feel of the buttons, and can hit them from inside my pocket.
[automerge]1588715955[/automerge]

So you won’t have to carry your fob around at all, just the phone that you already do. Getting rid of tons of little tokens we have to lug around for daily activities is progressive in my book.

Waiting for the movie where in the future absolutely everything is done through our phones, and some organization hacks into it and causes all kinds of chaos.

 

[farewelwilliams]

Not if you have remote start. We can hit lock and then hold the circular arrow button to remote start. Not even sure if that circular arrow does anything by itself. Wish some combo would open the back. Seems so dumb to not have that on a fob on inside a car, especially with these contactless pickup where they say to open it from inside. Would do that if they gave that as a choice

for EV vehicles, there isn't really a "start". i guess this is more of a piece of tech that's looking forward.

 

[LogicalApex]

iDrive 6 (cars with circular digital speedometers) vs iDrive 7 (oblong digital speedometers) is where the problem lies. iDrive 6 doesn't force CarPlay full screen ... shows icon at right. Also seems to get locked out quite frequently. You tap on the tiny CarPlay icon at the bottom left of a screen (placement an afterthought?) and it does nothing. I've had to re-link the system multiple times. Eventually I said f*ck it and disabled it altogether. BMW supports apps natively, so I use the built in nav, spotify, heads up display menus, voice control, etc.

When I spoke to BMW IDX on the phone, I gave them a handful of issues related to this glaring UX *********. Why release a brand new car in 2020 with terrible integration and provide no software updates when Tesla and Apple do it quite frequently for existing users? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

I thought all MY2020 cars were using iDrive 7, but I was wrong on that it looks like. That being said, many users have used CarPlay on iDrive 6 without too much issue. I would drop the car off or at your next service visit ask them to upgrade it to the latest software (BMW calls this I-step). On iDrive 6 cars the software can only be updated at the dealer (and even some iDrive 7 cars like mine). I agree it would be nicer to have Remote Software Updates like Tesla, but it also comes with some warts as has been evidenced by Tesla removing features from cars remotely too. But I don't think CarPlay is a horrible experience on BMW cars.

I'd also update your version of iOS to the latest as well. The majority of CarPlay is controlled by Apple. There were a few odd quirks with using it on iOS 13 that were addressed with iOS patches not BMW patches. The annoying part of the integration is knowing where BMW and Apple responsibility ends. The car does very little once CarPlay is involved. Arguably, BMW could have made it more reliable or robust by using wired CarPlay and not wireless, but that's a matter of debate.

Also the "CarPlay" icon to access CarPlay is fairly universal. That's the bridge between your car's infotainment system and the Apple CarPlay system. Sometimes you want to hop between either world (like you might want to use car navigation since it powers your HUD, but still use CarPlay for your podcast app).

 

[TropN]

anyone know if this is something that Tesla can support via software update or do they need new NFC equipment.

Tesla owners can already lock/unlock their cars without the need to take out their phones from their pockets. The Model 3 also has an NFC reader on the B pillar where you can tap the keycard to unlock the car, in cases when your phone battery is dead or you don't have it with you.

 

[farewelwilliams]

Tesla owners can already lock/unlock their cars without the need to take out their phones from their pockets. The Model 3 also has an NFC reader on the B pillar where you can tap the keycard to unlock the car, in cases when your phone battery is dead or you don't have it with you.

That phone connection is over bluetooth. I have a Model 3 and it's not 100% reliable. There are times I would try to unlock the door, but it remains locked. I would need to manually launch the app and unlock or use my keycard to unlock via NFC on the B pillar.

I'm wondering if the NFC in the current Model 3 needs to be updated at all for the 2.0 spec.

 

[ssspinball]

Funnily enough, this happens when I’m washing my Model 3. Car locks and unlocks as I get close / far from the car. I‘ve gotten into the habit of leaving the phone a little ways away. PS. Still miss my i3, that was such a nice car.

Same, minor inconvenience for the major convenience the phone-as-key offers daily.

Well, same, except I don't miss the i3 I turned in 2 weeks ago at all. Vs any other car I would have missed it as it's a really nice car, but against the Model 3 I've had for over a year there's just no comparison. Tesla is in another league.

I still can't believe the i3 has a higher MSRP than the Telsa--That's always been absurd, but is exponentially so in 2020.