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Tag: keys

  • BMW Introduces Digital Key Plus For Android Smartphones

    BMW Introduces Digital Key Plus For Android Smartphones

    BMW introduced the smartphone as a digital vehicle key in 2018 and since then the company has been pressing ahead with the development and popularisation of its BMW Digital Key feature. The feature was made available to iPhone users in January 2021, and BMW has now added the same feature to Samsung & Google Android phones as well. The BMW Digital Key Plus is a convenient and secure way to unlock and start your car without taking your smartphone out of your bag or pocket, similar to a physical key that supports keyless entry & start.

    The new, additional features enabled by the BMW Digital Key Plus are based on Ultra-Wideband technology. This short-range, high-bandwidth digital radio technology is characterised by an exceptionally precise localization with the greatest possible security. UWB’s precision also ensures that relay attacks, where the radio signal is jammed or intercepted, are not possible.

    With the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC), BMW has been working closely with Google as well as Apple to develop the corresponding specification with partners and established it as a global standard for the automotive industry. This has also enabled secure, cross-platform sharing of Digital Key between iPhone and compatible Android devices via email, SMS or any other messaging service. Until now, the feature was restricted to only iPhone & Apple watch users, but it will now be added to Select Samsung & Google devices – running Android 13.1 or later – which include Samsung Galaxy S23+, S23 Ultra, S22+, S22 Ultra, S21+, S21 Ultra, Z Fold4, Z Fold3, Note20 Ultra, and Google Pixel 7 Pro & Pixel 6 Pro.

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  • Samsung adds new models to its Digital Car Key support list, but not all work with UWB

    Samsung adds new models to its Digital Car Key support list, but not all work with UWB

    A few weeks after Apple, the Samsung Digital Car Key initiative announced support for a number of new BMW, Kia, and Genesis models, reports TizenHelp. These include the Genesis GV60, Genesis G90, BMW 1-8 Series, BMW Z4, BMW X5-X7, BMW iX3, BMW iX, BMW i4, and the Kia Niro.

    While the luxury Genesis models will support both NFC and UWB connectivity, the rest only offer NFC support meaning that you will have to hold your Galaxy closer to the car in order to unlock it.
    The feature is available on its home turf for now, but hopefully, Samsung will roll it out for the new car models globally soon, or you can use the digital car key support built into Android 12.
    For now, Samsung’s Digital Car Key option is available only on the Galaxy S22 and S21 series, the oldie Note 20 Ultra, and on Samsung’s foldable phones like the Z Fold 3 and the Z Flip 3. Besides Samsung, Google’s Pixel 6 series are also supporting digital car keys and Google even baked BMW support in Android 12 on a system level.
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  • Samsung turns Galaxy smartphones into digital car keys

    Samsung turns Galaxy smartphones into digital car keys

    Samsung is making its Galaxy devices even more useful than they are right now with the addition of a new feature that will turn them into digital car keys. Thanks to the revolutionary UWB technology, Samsung Galaxy users will be able to unlock, lock, and start their cars using their smartphones.

    UWB is a short-range, wireless communication protocol that uses radio waves to function, similar to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Unlike these two though, UWB sends radio wave at a much higher frequency, enabling highly accurate spatial awareness and directional capabilities that allow smartphones to correctly understand their surroundings better.

    More importantly, UWB enables passive entry, which means you’ll be able to lock and unlock your car, start the engine, open the trunk and even activate your personalized settings through your smartphone. The digital key can be shared if you’re lending your car to a friend, and you can even set a time limit on how long the shared key will work.

    Initially, Samsung’s digital key will be available in NFC and UWB with the Genesis V60 luxury electric vehicle in South Korea by the end of the year. Also, the smartphone maker announced that the UWB digital key is compatible with Galaxy S21+ and Ultra, Note 20 Ultra and Z Fold 2 and 3.