Samsung teases us with expanded Digital Car Key support that still almost no one can use
Samsung firstannounced Digital Car Key supportalongside theGalaxy S21’s launch last year. The feature relies on Ultra-Wideband and NFC chips found on select Galaxy phones and lets you securely and safely unlock your vehicle without using its key. Despite Samsung using a standardized tech supported by the likes of Audi, BWM, and Ford, Digital Car Key was so far limited to just one vehicle: the Genesis GV60. That’s changing now as the company has finally expanded support to include vehicles from BMW and Kia.
The Korean giant has updated its support document to reflect that Digital Car Key now works with selected premium BMW and Kia vehicles, including the BMW 1 to 8 series, X5 to X7, Z4, iX3, iX, and i4 (viaTizenHelp). Kia Niro and Genesis G90 owners will also be able to unlock their vehicle using their compatible Galaxy phones. Aside from unlocking your car, you can also open the trunk, start the engine, and adjust the seat and side-view mirror positions.
Only the Genesis vehicles support passive entry since they can be unlocked using Ultra-Wideband, while the BMW and Kia vehicles support NFC-based unlock. You’ll have to take the phone out of your pocket and tap it near the key slot to open the car.
Digital Car Key support is only available on a handful of premium Galaxy phones: theGalaxy S22+andS22 Ultra,Galaxy S21+and S21 Ultra,Note20 Ultra,Z Fold2,Z Fold3, and theZ Flip 3. It’s currently limited to users in South Korea, and it’s not clear when it’ll roll out worldwide. If you live in the US, the UK, or Europe, you can useGoogle’s Digital Car Key implementation, which debuted inAndroid 12, to unlock your compatible BMW vehicle using your Galaxy device. Apart from Samsung, thePixel 6and 6 Pro are the only other Android phones that allow you to unlock your car.
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