Android 12 gets a car unlock feature

New system Android 12 It has to bring several new features and one of the most interesting is to be able to turn your smartphone into a car key. The portal informs about it Mashable.

Android 12 will use NFC and UWB technologies for the digital key

The idea of ​​using a smartphone as a car key is nothing new, but so far no one has come up with a standardized solution. At Tuesday’s Google I / O 2021 virtual event, Google confirmed a digital car key as part of Android 12. Digital car keys will lock, unlock and start the vehicle from select Samsung Pixel and Galaxy smartphones.

From the end of this year, this feature will be available in new BMW models. At the same time, Google hopes that this feature will be gradually compatible with cars from other manufacturers. The solution should work in two ways, depending on the type of technology a particular car supports.

For cars with NFC chips built into the door, you will be able to unlock the car by placing your smartphone on the door and tapping the screen. For cars with the new ultra-wideband (UWB) communication, all you have to do is have your smartphone close to the vehicle and then unlock it with a simple tap.

The same function of using a smartphone as a car key was announced last year by a competing company Apple. In her case, too, it works for the new vehicles of the German carmaker BMW. The advantage of digital keys is that they will be easier to share than physical keys. With the help of a smartphone, you can lend someone a digital key with a few clicks in the smartphone system.

Google has expanded the types of cars with support for Android Auto wireless

Google also announced at Google I / O 2021 that it has expanded the number of cars that support Android Auto via wireless. This means that you no longer have to connect your smartphone to the multimedia system with a USB cable. Wireless connectivity should be added, for example, for new General Motors, Ford and Honda vehicles.

The interface from Google will even be pre-installed in the new GMC Hummer EV electric off-road vehicle and in the BMW iX electric SUV. The electric Hummer will have a built-in Google Assistant from the factory, and the electric BMW will basically display Google Maps and their voice navigation on the screen behind the wheel.