Continuous innovations in the field of technology are enhancing the dynamics of smartphones. Specifically, smartphones are equipped with more and more properties and features, thus replacing a large number of everyday objects and technological gadgets, including computers, cameras, media players, wallets, and are soon expected to replace car keys. This will be made possible by Apple. “CarKey” is expected to function similarly to some modern keys that are only used to unlock, lock, and even “start” the car and will be compatible with the iPhone and Apple Watch.
CarKey will be integrated into the existing Wallet and, while it will work just like Express Transit cards, it will not require Face ID to authenticate the CarKey interaction after the initial pairing. Users will be able to use either their iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock and start their car, even if the battery is dead. They will also be able to share the key with other people who have an Apple device with the Wallet app installed, giving anyone they want access to their car, such as family members or other close friends.
But let's take a closer look at how “CarKey” works.
Users must first install the car manufacturer’s app, then place their phone on the car’s NFC reader (New “CarKey” feature) and find the relevant item in the “Wallet” app. From there, they can add it to their Apple Watch. There are clearly some potential issues. The most serious issue that may arise is that it may only work with NFC-compatible cars. This means that many older car models are excluded.
It should be noted, however, that so far there has been no official announcement from Apple regarding the “CarKey” feature, so we cannot be absolutely sure when exactly it will be available to the public, although given that the API exposes a lot of information about it, it is very likely that we will see it on the market soon.
