BMW has announced that Digital Key Plus – which uses your UWB-equipped smartphone to wirelessly lock/unlock/start your car – is now compatible with select Android devices. It was previously only compatible with UWB-equipped iPhones and the Apple Watch.
The list of compatible Android devices is as follows:
* Samsung devices (running Android 13.1 or later):
* Galaxy S23+, S23 Ultra, S22+, S22 Ultra, S21+, S21 Ultra, Z Fold4, Z Fold3, Note20 Ultra (in markets with Samsung Wallet)
* Google devices (running Android 13.1 or later):
* Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 6 Pro
This works with Digital Key Plus-compatible BMWs produced from Nov. 2022. A future software update will expand support to Digital Key Plus-compatible BMWs produced before Nov. 2022.
In the March 2023 Pixel Feature Drop, Google said that compatible Pixels would gain support for ultra-wideband digital car keys with select 2022 BMW models.
In the March 2023 Google System Updates changelog, Google noted that Play Services v23.10.23 adds support for the wireless use of digital car keys, the implementation of which is based on the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) Digital Key specification Release 3.
I’m not sure why the BMW press note mentions “Android 13.1 or later” – Android 13.1 doesn’t formally exist, but they’re likely referring to Android 13 QPR1. In any case, I think this just relies on a recent version of the AOSP UWB stack to be implemented on the device.