The Apple CarKey feature was first revealed in an iOS 13.4 beta. The feature essentially turns the iPhone or Apple Watch into a car key.
The leaked CarKey feature allows users to unlock or lock their own car with their iPhone or Apple Watch. It should also be possible to start the engine. According to the code at the time, CarKey works in principle like Apple Pay - an NFC interface is therefore required. The digital car key is stored in the Wallet app. In addition, these virtual keys can also be shared with other people. Actually a pretty practical feature that makes the real car key superfluous. But while Apple is developing the function, cars must of course also have a corresponding interface. Until now, however, it was not known which vehicles would support CarKey. Now there are initial indications. The US blog 9to5mac has found a hint in the iOS 14 code that suggests that BMW could be the first car manufacturer to support Apple's CarKey feature. The blog then asked BMW directly. As expected, the Bavarian carmaker did not confirm its participation in the project. Instead, 9to5mac was referred to a press release from December. It states:
The BMW Group has been driving the creation of a global standard for digital vehicle access in the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC). Most well-known smartphone manufacturers and car manufacturers have already joined the consortium. The cross-industry standard specifications will also help to include all types of smartphones, including phones, watches and other wearables.
Will the presentation take place at WWDC 2020?
It should be emphasized here that Apple is also a member of the CCC. In June 2018, the association published information about its Digital Key Release 1.0 specification, an NFC solution that allows various devices to lock, unlock, start the engine, and share access to a specific vehicle. In October, a revision of the standard, Digital Key Release 2.0, was announced, which provides for enhanced security protocols through the use of special "tamper-evident" chips in an ECU. According to current information, the CCC is working on Digital Key Release 3.0. This version is expected to support both Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology. Both technologies are already present in the iPhone 11 series. Therefore, it is only a matter of time before Apple officially announces the feature. Observers believe that official confirmation will be announced as part of the WWDC 2020 could take place. (Photo by Alexstockphoto / Bigstockphoto)
