Samsung to bring digital car keys to its phones

After announcing plans for digital car keys in its phones when the Galaxy S21 launched, South Korean tech conglomerate Samsung has finally started adding support for the feature. According to The Verge, Samsung claims that support for ultra-wideband (UWB) and NFC digital car keys will hit South Korea first, and that it will only work with one car to boot, the All-electric Genesis GV60.
On devices that support UWB, namely the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus and Ultra, Note 20 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 2 and 3, Samsung has promised “passive entry” which means you can unlock and lock your car without remove your phone from your bag or pocket. With your phone nearby, you can also start your car and adjust mirrors, seats, etc.
The digital keys will be stored in Samsung Pass and protected by an “integrated secure element (eSE)” and, according to Samsung, can be shared with anyone running Android 11 with their downloaded app. It’s the same as currently accessing a type of car in a region, but Samsung has partnerships with Audi, BMW, and Ford. Hopefully these automakers will add their support soon now that Genesis has broken the seal. Also, since Samsung supports NFC for keys, older Galaxy phones running Android 11 should be able to have fun.
According to The Verge, Samsung is now using UWB and NFC for two flagship features on its phones, digital car keys and finding objects with the Galaxy SmartTag announced in January. This parallels it with Apple, which introduced the U1 chip-enabled digital car keys alongside iOS 14. (ANI)
(This story was not edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)