Munich/Cupertino. At today’s Apple Worldwide
Developer Conference it was announced that BMW will become the first
carmaker to enable its customers to use iPhone as a fully digital car
key. BMW 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.
BMW Digital Key for the 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 BMW Smartphone App. The car owner can also
share access with up to 5 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.
Additional features of the new Digital Key include:
-
Storage in the Secure Element of your iPhone and access through Apple
Wallet
- Power reserve for iPhone where car keys will still
function for up to five hours if
the iPhone turns off due to
low battery
- Ability to share access with up to 5 friends via
iMessage
- Apple Watch compatibility
BMW is a leading contributor to the Digital Key standard.
The BMW Group was quick to recognise the potential of smartphones as
digital keys – if done right. Standardizing the Digital Key
contributes to user experience, security and availability in
smartphone models all of which were key to the BMW Group strategy for
the 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. The Digital Key specification
2.0 for NFC has been released in May 2020 while the next generation of
Digital Key using Ultra Wideband technology is already well underway.
Broad availability for BMW models and iPhones.
BMW is excited to announce the availability of Digital Key for iPhone
in 45 countries for a broad range of models: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, X5,
X6, X7, X5M, X6M and Z4 if manufactured after July 1st
2020. Compatible iPhone models will be iPhone XR, iPhone XS or newer
and Apple Watch Series 5 or newer.
For more information please
visit www.bmw.com/digitalkey
Also announced: smart routes for BMW electric vehicles in
Apple Maps.
At today's Apple Worldwide Developer Conference, BMW and Apple also
announced a new feature that will make it easier than ever 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 seamless,
simple feature will first be available for BMW in the fully electric
BMW i4 launching next year.
