BMW is introducing the BMW Digital Key Plus, a secure way to unlock and start your car without taking your iPhone out of your bag or pocket. This latest incarnation of the service is based on Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology, the technology found on the U1 chip of iPhone.
The BMW Digital Key Plus feature will be first launched with the all-electric BMW iX for iPhone.
Ultra-Wideband technology is a short-range, high-bandwidth digital radio technology that is characterised by an exceptionally precise localisation with the greatest possible security.
In a press release, BMW says: ‘UWB’s precision also ensures that relay attacks, where the radio signal is jammed or intercepted, are not possible. Apple and BMW have been working closely with the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) to establish the Digital Key specification 3.0 for UWB, providing a global standard for the automotive industry’.
The BMW iX is the first model based on a new, modular and scalable future BMW Group construction concept. It was conceived from the outset for purely electric mobility.
