BMW cars can now be opened with iPhone

German luxury automobile manufacturer, BMW will allow its customers to use their Apple iPhone handsets as a digital car key. Apple, at its annual World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) on 22 June, announced that it will extend its digital key solution to iOS 13 and the upcoming iOS14. BMW will be the first automaker in this regard. Apple, however, said that more manufacturers are expected to join its network next year.

Accessing a car with a mobile app is not new. The Munich headquartered company will allow digital access through the BMW app. The app will open the car’s door and start the vehicle. That aside, a BMW car owner can share his/her key with five other people through the Apple iMessage app, with either complete access to the vehicle or a restricted profile. The latter will allow the original user to control the car’s power output, speed, maximum radio volume, and several other features. These, BMW claims, will be particularly helpful if the owner doesn’t want to give full access to a teenager or inexperienced drivers.   

The BMW Digital Key powered by the iPhone will use near-field communication (NFC) technology. The driver simply needs to tap the car to unlock it. Once inside the vehicle, he/she has to put the iPhone on the charging dock to start the car. BMW has assured that there will be a power reserve where the iPhone will continue functioning up to five hours, even if the handset gets switched off due to low battery.  

Owners of BMW 5-series will be able to use this feature from next month on their iPhone handsets that run on iOS 13. They don’t need to wait for the release of iOS 14 later this year.

The BMW Digital Key feature will debut in 45 countries. Besides the 5-series, it will work with the 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8-series cars. Other BMW cars to get the feature include the X5, X5M, X6, X6M, X7, and Z4 vehicles manufactured after 1 July, 2020. BMW has also taken into consideration its electric vehicles (EVs) where the Digital Key can be charged after integration with Apple Maps. The BMW i4, expected to roll out next year, will be the first EV in this regard.