Ultrawideband chip in iPhones can be used as a car key from next year

Apple will use the U1 chip in its iPhones as a digital car key. This works in combination with cars that are equipped with CarPlay. Also, cars must have hardware support. From this year, iPhones with NFC can be used as a digital key.

The 2021 BMW 5 Series models, due out next month, support CarKey, which is the use of an iPhone or Apple Watch as a digital key. This works with NFC and the key is stored in the secure chip of the device. Users can copy a digital key and then share it via iMessage, giving someone else access to the car. It is possible to impose restrictions on use.

Users can choose Express Mode, where the digital car key can be used without the need for confirmation via Face ID. The new feature is coming to iOS 14, but will also be added to iOS 13.

In the future, Apple wants to use the U1 chip instead of NFC, so it is not necessary to hold the iPhone against the door handle of the car, because this ultrawideband chip can communicate over longer distances. Apple is working together with the CarConnectivity Consortium for this. It is not yet known which brands will support the U1 chip. Apple says there will be cars that offer the functionality from next year. The U1 chip is already in the iPhone 11 models.