The announcement was made at the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference and realizes that BMW will become the first brand to allow its customers to use the iPhone as a digital key, through the BMW Digital Key.
Developed for iPhone and Apple Watch users, the BMW Digital Key takes advantage of the potential of the new iOS14 and the fact that it has the CarKey function.
Configurable through the BMW Smartphone app, this digital key will allow you to unlock the car or even start it to work using just an iPhone or Apple Watch.
Sharing car becomes easier
According to BMW, it is possible to share the digital key with up to five people (via the iMessage system). In these cases, the owner can restrict the power, maximum speed and even the maximum volume of the radio.Subscribe to our newsletter
Accessible via Apple Wallet, the BMW Digital Key can be stored as a secure element of the iPhone.
Finally, the BMW Digital Key has a power backup function that allows the digital key to continue to function for up to five hours after the iPhone runs out of battery.
Which models will be supported?
Available in 45 countries, the BMW Digital Key will be compatible with BMW 1 Series, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, X5, X6, X7, X5M, X6M and Z4 produced after 1 July 2020.
As for the Apple products that the BMW Digital Key is compatible with, these are the iPhone XR, iPhone XS or newer and the Apple Watch Series 5 or newer.