Apple Announces CarKey for iPhone, Minor CarPlay Update

Apple today unveiled its new iOS 14 operating system for mobile devices at its 2020 Worldwide Developers Conference. For car owners, an interesting new function is CarKey which, as the name implies, turns your phone into a digital car key.

The first compatible vehicle will be the 2021 BMW 5 Series, which received a few updates of its own as reported a couple of weeks ago. Many more models will follow, similar to how Apple CarPlay has spread across the auto industry like wildfire.

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In fact, Apple said it’s working on an industry-wide standard that would use its new U1 ultra-widebandchip instead of relying solely on NFC (Near Field Communication).

CarKey allows an iPhone or Apple Watch user to lock/unlock the doors and start the engine. After pairing your device with the car, you’ll just need to hold it near an NFC reader built into the door handle, then authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID. An Express option will be available to bypass the authentication process, mind you.

Furthermore, CarKey allows owners to share access with others via iMessage, which is something you can’t do with digital keys offered by car companies like Tesla, Hyundai and Lincoln. There are three levels of access: unlock the trunk, unlock the doors, and be able to drive the car—with options to limit power, top speed, radio volume, etc.

And if your iPhone shuts off due to a low battery charge, a power reserve function keeps CarKey operational for up to five hours.

In related news, Apple CarPlay is being enhanced in a couple of ways, most notably the addition of EV charging stations in Apple Maps.

The release of iOS 14 is expected to take place in September as was the case with previous versions of the system.