Apple WWDC 2020: What the new iPhone iOS 14 means for CarPlay: Key new features explained

The upcoming new operating system for all Apple devices has been announced, especially with the introduction of iOS 14 for the iPhone which was announced at the company's first-ever online WWDC. There have been new updates made to Apple CarPlay which will come with iOS 14 that could make your car keys obsolete. Here is what’s new.

Image: Apple

Apple just held its first-ever online-only WWDC keynote which has taken the internet by storm. Apple’s first online WWDC keynote presentation was shockingly good and extremely well done. But the announcements during the keynote had quite a few interesting introductions to Apple’s upcoming update to its ecosystem. Looking specifically for what Apple has done in the world of cars, Apple has introduced the new iOS 14 which introduces new advancements for the iPhone and also for Apple CarPlay which what Apple claims is available in 80% of all new cars on sale today. The most notable update is the ability to make the bulky key fobs of cars redundant. Additionally, there are some more new features that are designed to make the user interface for CarPlay more seamless and more engaging.

Customisable Wallpaper

Till now, the CarPlay screen on the vehicle’s infotainment system used a back background with big and bold app icons. The smallest update with iOS 14 means that you can now change that wallpaper to anything of your liking, allowing you to add a more personal touch to your car’s infotainment screen.

Electric Vehicle Routing

The second update is the introduction of new CarPlay specific apps with the inclusion of the Parking, EV Charging and Food Ordering. For iPhone users who drive electric vehicles, the iOS 14 update will allow them to tell Apple Maps what kind of vehicle they are driving, and then the system will route their journey according to the best compatible electric vehicle charging stations, which is really cool. It is something that is not available for Google Maps. But as Apple Maps is not optimised for India as yet, this new feature would be limited to countries where Apple Maps is more prevalent.

Digital Key in Wallet for cars

The final and more important update with iOS 14 with the iPhone is the integrated your vehicle’s key to Wallet. With the iOS update, and if your connected car supports its, you can lock, unlock and start your car with just your iPhone. The system will use the iPhone’s NFC, you can unlock your car by taping the door handle with your iPhone, and then once you’re in, place the phone on the wireless charging pad, and you can start the engine of the vehicle and get going. The first car to be integrated with the Digital Key in the iPhone Wallet feature will be the new 2021 BMW 5 Series.

Image: Apple

You will also be able to share the digital key with other iPhone users if you need to share your car. Additionally, for security benefits, you can also restrict their profiles to certain parameters, which can be beneficial for parents who give their cars to a teen driver and if they misbehave, they can also temporarily revoke access as well, so be nice kids! Other security benefits with the Digital Key is that if you lose your iPhone, you can turn off the Digital key remotely through iCloud. But what if the battery of your phone runs out? In that case, Apple has thought it through and your Digital Key will be accessible for up to 5 hours after your phone battery runs out.

One may worry that if you lose your iPhone, then you’d also lose your car keys. But in the modern era, when everything is already connected to your smartphone, if you lose it you wouldn’t have your digital wallet, your camera, and more importantly your phone, so adding your car keys to the list, would it make that much of a difference?

Now this update will not only be available for iOS 14 users, but the update will also be allowed for iPhone users still on iOS 13. Apple is currently working with automakers to make the use of the digital key more seamless. Leveraging its new U1 chip that is designed to understand spacial awareness, soon you won’t even need to take out your iPhone from your pocket or bag to enter or start your vehicle. Apple plans to introduce this in new cars which will allow this function by 2021.

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