No more digging for keys: BMW’s new Android car key feature

Delhi : BMW revealed that Android-powered smartphones now support its Digital Key Plus function. Owners no longer need to remove their smartphones from their pockets in order to unlock, lock, and start the engines of their BMW vehicles. The Bavarian carmaker states that phones equipped with Digital Key Plus totally replace conventional vehicle keys because the former also includes an expanded feature known as ultra-wideband technology (UWB).

According to the brand, the aforementioned technology is a high bandwidth, close-range digital radio technology. It delivers the highest level of security and precise localization. The potential of attacks when the radio transmission is jammed or intercepted is almost completely eliminated by the accuracy of this technique. The premium automaker and Google worked together to create the specification in order to increase application compatibility.

The application has only been supported by iPhone and Apple Watch up until this point. BMW states that it aspires to provide digital car access for all consumers, regardless of the operating system of the smartphone they use, by integrating this technology into Android. Currently, the Google Pixel 7 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S23+ / Ultra smartphone models, as well as some older devices with the required hardware, all support the programme. While this functionality is present in cars created after November 2022, BMW intends to provide an OTA update that will assist this service reach older models.

In other news, at the Shanghai Auto Show, BMW just debuted the i7 M70 xDrive, one of its most potent EV versions to yet. The electric car has a maximum torque of 1,100 Nm and a power output of 660 horsepower. It includes a 101.7 kWh battery pack. It claims to have a range of up to 560 km.