Apple unveiled Car Key, a new feature that allows you to unlock the car with the iPhone. This feature was detailed during the first day of the 2020 Worldwide Developers Conference on June 22. The event continues until June 26.
The feature will be part of the newly-launched iOS 14, and will work in NFC. It was tested with the new 2021 BMW 5 Series, which happens to be released in the market next month. The company is saying it is working on an "industry-wide standard" that will utilize the new U1 ultra wideband chip instead of depending solely on NFC.
Then, you will be requested to authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID prior to the unlocking of the car, or you can set up with Express Mode should you want to skip authentication on biometric.
Users may also share access with the community via iMessage. Furthermore, Apple clarified that the feature will also support iOS 13.
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Multiple cars
Other automobile manufacturers have previously offered the digital key feature with similar functionality but a different app. In other words, it is not directly connected with the operating systems from Apple, alongside its benefits.
Having this Car Key feature will also allow users to keep digital keys for various cars in one place.
Moreover, Car Key could be utilizing the Digital Key Release 2.0 specification of the Car Connectivity Consortium. This was finalized in May.
This specification "leverages Near Field Communication (NFC) technology for contactless communication between smartphones and vehicles, and supports a scalable architecture for mass adoption while reducing costs."
Further details
SK Yong, Apple's manager of wireless technologies and ecosystems, is the board of the Consortium's director, according to his LinkedIn account. The alternate is Emily Schubert, an engineering manager.
The company also unveiled plans to extend its Find My network for real-world device location, toward third-party businesses, Apple announced in the State of the Union developer speech following the WWDC 2020 keynote.
This feature allows compatible devices, both those with or without net connectivity, to sync to the network and become easy to find when opening the Find My app. There are also Bluetooth trackers attachable to your keys or wallet.
The new feature's developer page, the company detailed through a documentation preview, stated, "Introducing a new program that will let customers locate your products using the power of the vast Find My network."
The preview also noted, "With hundreds of millions of Apple devices around the world, advanced end-to-end encryption, and industry-leading security, users can locate their items within the Find My app with the peace of mind that their privacy is protected."
More features are expected to be unveiled as the event happens throughout this week.
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