BMW today announced future plans to expand Digital Key Plus, an enhanced version of Apple’s Car Keys feature featuring Ultra Wideband technology, which allows drivers to unlock and start their vehicle without shutting down their iPhone to pick up their bag or pocket. BMW says the feature will first be introduced in its new iX electric vehicle, which will be launched in Europe in late 2021 and in North America in early 2022.
/article-new/2021/01/bmw-car-key-photo.jpg?resize=560%2C280&ssl=1)
Apple introduced support for digital car keys in iOS 13.6 and later last year, and BMW was the first and so far only carmaker to introduce the feature, starting with the 2021 5 Series and later to a wider range of BMW models that July 1 was manufactured. , 2020. BMW’s current Digital Key feature is based on NFC technology and requires drivers to keep their iPhone close to the driver’s side door to unlock their vehicle.
Ultra Wideband is a short-range, high-bandwidth wireless communication protocol with precise spatial awareness, which means that an iPhone only needs to be in the vicinity of the vehicle to unlock and launch it. BMW says Ultra Wideband’s precision also ensures that relay attacks, where the radio signal is pinned or intercepted, are not possible.
Apple began 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 since Apple’s car key feature is available on watchOS 6.2.8 and later, BMW’s Digital Key Plus feature may also extend to the Apple Watch.
As announced last year, BMW’s press release confirms that Apple and BMW have worked closely with the Car Connectivity Consortium to develop the Digital Key 3.0 specification with Ultra Wideband, which provides a global standard for the automotive industry.
In related news, Korea Business claimed today that Hyundai plans to use Apple’s key for digital car keys later this year, but the report did not indicate whether Hyundai plans to launch 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!)