Technology giant Apple kicked off its all-online Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, bringing together millions of developers and fans from across the globe. The day was filled with announcements and innovations that promise to push the experience of Apple platforms and products even further. Many groundbreaking features were announced like the macOS Big Sur, featuring the biggest design upgrade since the introduction of Mac OS X, the watchOS 7 and the new App library in iOS 14. But there was a lot in it for the auto buff as well. And it’s called the Digital Key which is a new way to unlock and start your car.
German luxury carmaker BMW announced support for Digital Key for iPhone. A secure and easy way to use iPhone as a car key to lock, unlock, drive and share keys with friends. At the conference it was shared that BMW will become the first carmaker to enable its customers to use iPhone as a fully digital car key. The Bavarian giant was the first to integrate iPod in their vehicles, first to offer wireless CarPlay and now first to introduce support for BMW Digital Key stored securely in Apple Wallet for iPhone.
The upcoming BMW Digital Key for the iPhone will enable customers to just tap to unlock and easily get going by placing the iPhone in the smartphone tray and pushing the start button. Setup of the Digital Key can be done through the company’s smartphone app. The car owner can also share access with up to five friends including a configurable car access option for young drivers which restricts top speed, horse power, maximum radio volume and more. Management of access can be done from inside the car as well as through Apple Wallet.
And that’s not all as there are some additional features lovers of BMW and Apple can look forward to. They have storage in the secure element of the iPhone and access through Apple Wallet. There’s also a power reserve for iPhone where car keys will still function for up to five hours if the iPhone turns off due to low battery. Plus access can be shared with up to five friends via iMessage; the Apple Watch too is compatible with the system.
The BMW Group has been able to recognise the potential of smartphones as digital keys if done right. Standardising the Digital Key contributes to user experience, security and availability in smartphone models all of which were key to the success of Digital Key right from the start. Apple and BMW have been working closely with the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) to press ahead with the establishment of global standards. An advanced Digital Key specification 2.0 has been released in May 2020 while the next generation of Digital Key using Ultra Wideband technology is already well underway. Through this key the user will not even need to take the phone out of his pocket and still be able to unlock and start the car.
BMW has said that this innovation will be for iPhone in 45 countries across the world for a broad range of its portfolio of cars. This includes the 1 series, 2 series, 3 series, 4 series, 5 series, 6 series, 8 series range of sedans, coupes and convertibles. Plus SUVs like the X5, X6, X7, X5M and X6M will also benefit from this technology. Finally the roadster Z4 also will get the feature provided like all other cars it is manufactured after July 1st 2020. Compatible iPhone models will be iPhone XR, iPhone XS or newer and Apple Watch Series 5 or later models.
At the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference, BMW and Apple also announced a new feature that will make it easier for CarPlay users to take BMW electric vehicles on longer journeys by automatically taking into account when and where to charge. Drivers can plan their trip in advance on their iPhone or simply enter their destination through Apple CarPlay when they get into the car; either way, Apple Maps will pick the optimal route based on electric range and the locations of charging stations along the way. This feature will first be available for BMW in the fully electric BMW i4 launching next year.
Finally, Apple also revealed what it said were “Greener Ways to Explore” and “New Guides” in Maps. The company says it has become easier to navigate and explore with new cycling directions, electric vehicle routing, and curated Guides. Cycling directions take into account elevation, how busy a street is, and whether there are stairs along the route. Electric vehicle routing adds charging stops along a planned route based on current vehicle charge and charger types.2 Guides provide a curated list of interesting places to visit in a city, created by a selection of trusted resources. One can discover restaurants, find popular attractions, and explore new recommendations from various popular brands.
Shams Naqvi is Senior Editor at carandbike.com