Hyundai and Genesis cars to gain Apple iPhone digital key functionality – report
The South Korean car giant Hyundai and its Genesis luxury division are reportedly in line for Apple CarKey unlocking functionality later this year, new reports indicate.
You may soon be able to unlock and start your top-of-the-range Hyundai vehicle – or Genesis luxury car – with an Apple iPhone or Apple Watch, new reports suggest.
Bloomberg’s well-connected Apple reporter Mark Gurman claims Apple’s CarKey system – which allows users to unlock, start and drive their car using their iPhone or Apple Watch – will be introduced on “models from Hyundai and its Genesis line” in mid-2022, two years after the technology debuted in cars from German luxury brand BMW.
The Bloomberg report follows the September 2021 discovery of lines of code referencing Hyundai’s luxury brand Genesis in an update to the Apple Pay mobile payment system – which is used as the framework for CarKey, and employs the same near-field communication (NFC) technology.
Gurman’s Bloomberg report represents the first time Hyundai has been referenced as being in line for CarKey technology, with no mention of the mainstream brand in the Apple Pay code. However, it’s likely only the brand’s most expensive and luxurious models would benefit, rather than entry-level i30 hatchbacks and Venue SUVs.
The Genesis brand’s latest GV70, G80 and GV80 models already offer digital key functionality with Android phones, through Bluetooth, NFC and a Genesis Digital Key app – but a version for Apple iPhones is yet to be announced.
Sister brand Kia will introduce digital key support for both iPhone and Android devices in overseas markets later this year with the new Niro small SUV, as part of the car maker’s Kia Connect smartphone app – however this currently isn’t available in Australia.
Revealed in June 2020, Germany’s BMW was selected as the car maker to launch Apple’s CarKey technology, with all BMW models – excluding the X1, X2, X3, X4 and 7 Series – built after 1 July 2020 and sold in 45 countries (including Australia) offering support for the digital key system.
Highlights of the system include the ability to share the key with up to five other Apple users via iMessage, and a ‘power reserve’ system allowing the key to be used for up to five hours if the iPhone runs out of battery.
“The … BMW Digital Key for the iPhone will enable customers to just tap to unlock and easily get going by placing the iPhone in the smartphone tray and pushing the start button,” explains BMW’s press release from mid-2020, upon the feature’s release.
Selected Hyundai and Genesis models are set to gain Apple CarKey functionality in the northern summer of this year (our winter; June to August), according to Mark Gurman.
It remains to be seen if the feature is offered in Australia. Drive has contacted Hyundai’s global operations for comment – this story will be updated once a response is received.
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