The upcoming Genesis GV60 will soon be the first vehicle to offer support for the new Samsung Digital Key. The Digital Key essentially turns a Galaxy smartphone into a functional car key, using NFC and UWB technology to establish a connection with the vehicle.
The feature will only be available on select Galaxy smartphones, including the Galaxy S21+ and S21 Ultra, the Galaxy Note20 Ultra, and the Galaxy Z Fold2 and Z Fold3. In practice, drivers will be able to use their smartphone to lock and unlock their car, and to adjust settings for things like the mirrors and the infotainment system before opening the door. The UWB system supports passive entry, so drivers do not even need to press a button in order to take advantage of many of those features.
Once inside, the Digital Key will allow drivers to start the ignition and get the vehicle on the road. Owners can also use the application to share their Digital Key with another driver. The feature lets someone borrow the vehicle without any exchange of physical keys, and can be configured so that the Digital Key privileges will expire after a certain amount of time.
The Digital Key is encrypted with Samsung’s built-in Secure Element. The UWB system, meanwhile, is more precise than Bluetooth, and is therefore able to guard against relay attacks. The Samsung Key is compliant with the latest standards from the Car Connectivity Consortium.
“We are proud to partner with Genesis to create mobile experiences that can make people’s everyday lives easier,” said Samsung President and Mobile Communications Head TM Roh. “As we continue to drive mobile technology like UWB, our priority is now to bring these experiences to as many people as possible, in collaboration with our ecosystem partners.”
The GV60 is a luxury electric vehicle that comes with built-in fingerprint sensors and facial recognition cameras. The former enables biometric ignition, while the latter enables biometric entry and profile personalization.
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