Apple releases new Car Key and updates CarPlay

BMW 5 Series First release support

Update: With the release of iOS 13.6, the current iPhone XR, XS, 11 series, and Apple Watch 5 all support the Car Key function. Currently supported models include those produced after July 1, 2020: BMW 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, X5, X6, X7, X5M, X6M and Z4.

Apple’s annual WWDC 2020 World Developers Conference announced a variety of new system news. With the release of iOS 14, there are new CarPlay and Car Key.

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Let me talk about CarPlay first. CarPlay of iOS14 has updated many functions, the most obvious is to support custom wallpapers. Now the default wallpaper is pure black, but when iOS14 goes live in autumn, we will be able to:

The picture comes from @Apple, the copyright belongs to the original author

The picture comes from @Apple, the copyright belongs to the original author

Choose the wallpaper you like. In addition to the appearance changes, the new CarPlay will also have its own CarPlay app:

The picture comes from @Apple, the copyright belongs to the original author

Through the new CarPlay app, we will be able to more easily find parking spaces, electric car charging points, and order meals with one click. If these are just regular upgrades, then the new Car Key may change the way we travel.

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Now, almost every car owner has to bring the car key when going out. With it, we can unlock and drive the car. But these keys are large and inconvenient, and there is still the possibility of loss. Apple and BMW cooperated and developed the Car Key function:

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BMW was the first to support wireless CarPlay. This time the first to support Car Key is the 2021 BMW 5 Series. The usage is very simple, just use the iPhone to approach the door handle:

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After detecting the NFC signal of the iPhone U1 chip, BMW will unlock. What do I do if I lost my phone? Don’t be afraid, you must first use Touch ID fingerprint detection or Face ID facial recognition to use Car Key. Even if you lose it, you can remotely lock the lost device through iCloud. Even if the iPhone is dead, there are still 5 hours to use the Car Key function. Once the car is unlocked, it can be charged at any time. Compared with the traditional car key, the new electronic Car Key is really an all-round upgrade.

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The new Car Key will be integrated in the Wallet app, which is very convenient and quick to call. If family members or friends need to use the car temporarily, they can also temporarily share the Car Key function via iPhone:

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No need to worry about car safety, you can withdraw Car Key permissions at any time. Although many car manufacturers have tried to unlock by similar mobile apps in the past, they are still not as stable as Apple’s official.