Apple CarKey, Apple’s service that turns an iPhone or Apple Watch into a car key, is coming to Hyundai’s Genesis lineup cars. This feature, announced two years ago, would be available by next summer.
Remember: in 2020, Apple announced CarKey, a service that lets you use your iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock your car using NFC or Ultra Wide Band (UWB). Mirroring Apple Pay, CarKey stores the digital car key locally on the Wallet app, built-in by default on your iPhone.
Initially, this service was limited BMW brand cars. Models compatible with this feature include the BMW 5 Series, including the 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, X5, X6, X7, X5M, X6M and Z4. The service was opened to users residing in 45 different countries. The option was part of the new features of the iOS 14 update.
On the same subject: After Hyundai, Apple is looking for new partners to build its car
CarKey coming soon to Hyundai
According to information gleaned by Mark Gurman, journalist emeritus at Bloomberg, the CarKey service should soon land on non-BMW cars. In his Sunday newsletter, the informant, always well informed about Apple’s plans, says that the iPhone will soon be able to unlock vehicles designed by other manufacturers, starting with Hyundai.
The option would first be offered on models in the Genesis luxury range, Hyundai’s high-end line. According to Gurman, the feature will be deployed by summer 2022 on a handful of cars. For the record, Hyundai and Apple already got closer a few months ago regarding the Apple Car project, the Californian brand’s first autonomous electric vehicle. In his Sunday newsletter, the Bloomberg journalist specifies that this rapprochement remains surprising given the abortive discussions within the framework of the Apple Car project.
Mark Gurman also discusses the price of future Apple Glass. The augmented and virtual reality helmet would be sold at a price of more than 2000 dollars. Finally, the journalist affirm that the manufacturer is currently working on a HomePod with a battery. It will therefore be possible to move around with the speaker in your home.
