"My iPhone Wallet stores theater and transit tickets and all of my credit and debit cards, and it lets me sashay like a boss through my gym's turnstile. The tech works flawlessly, requiring only my proximity or the merest tilt of the device toward my face. Biometric goodness means I have few worries about security, even accessing my bank accounts."
"OK, it's more than just a metal key; it's a passive electronic fob with proximity-based radio signaling, which means I don't have to press anything to unlock my car. But it's nevertheless a bacteria-rich, easily lost, marque-branded plastic blob that, in truth, I no longer need. And I haven't needed it for some years. BMW 5 Series owners have been using smartphones to unlock, start, and digitally share access to their luxury vehicles since 2021, the year after Apple's introduced its plainly titled Car Key."
"Tesla Model 3 owners have had digital key access since 2017, when the midsize sedan launched without a fob; it could only be opened with a smartphone. Subsequently, digital-native carmakers Rivian and Polestar also enabled digital key use. ("Digital Key has been removed from the upcoming 2025.34 software update for further testing," noted a recent update from Rivian. The company's comms team tells WIRED it"
Smartphone wallets and biometric authentication already replace many physical cards and tickets, enabling convenient, secure access to services. Physical car fobs remain common despite proximity-based convenience and hygiene drawbacks. Several automakers have implemented smartphone-based digital keys, with BMW, Tesla, Audi, Kia, Hyundai, Rivian, and Polestar among early adopters. Apple expanded Car Key support and announced additional brands slated to join, though timing appears staggered. Some companies are pausing or revising digital-key rollouts for further testing, indicating uneven adoption and ongoing technical and operational challenges for widespread phone-as-key deployment.
Read at WIRED
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]