Unlock with your phone
Owners of select Cadillac models may soon be able to go beyond the key fob, as digital keys within an iPhone or Apple Watch could soon be introduced to the luxury brand. According to recent reports from Apple community sources, including MacRumors, backend code suggests that Apple is in the process of adding car key support to select Cadillac vehicles.
According to the outlet, Apple has now added backend support for General Motors, Voyah, and Smart vehicles to use Car Keys in their vehicles; however, this only allows the respective automakers to write code and actually develop the feature out to be usable. In essence, it is now up to GM’s software teams to add the functionality to Cadillac vehicles.
The report comes a few months after Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), an information technology conference held every year to showcase the latest capabilities of Apple’s software to developers, the technologically inclined, and the general public.
While new developments, such as a new, evolved version of Apple CarPlay, were showcased at the event, Apple confirmed that 13 vehicle brands, including Cadillac, would add support for digital car keys. Other GM brands, such as GMC and Chevrolet, are set to incorporate this feature alongside Cadillac. The feature is also set to appear in Acura, Porsche, Rivian, Smart, Lucid Motors, and Tata Motors vehicles, as well as Chinese brands like Hongqi, WEY, Chery, and Voyah.
Tap and unlock
Apple’s Car Key integration is notable for turning everyday Apple devices into digital keys. The Car Key function stores virtual keys for cars in the Apple Wallet app, the same app used to store credit and debit cards for Apple Pay. Drivers can seamlessly lock, unlock, and start compatible cars using an iPhone or Apple Watch, which uses the phone’s built-in NFC and other wireless technology.
Apple introduced this technology in 2020, and several automakers, including luxury brands such as Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz, have adopted this feature alongside more mainstream manufacturers like Hyundai and Kia.
Cadillac’s developments come at an interesting time for cars and tech
The developments surrounding Cadillac and its supposed Apple Car Key integration come at a very interesting time for both General Motors and Apple, which in recent months have established a growing distance between the brands’ technology integration.
In an interview last month with The Verge, General Motors CEO Mary Barra confirmed that the company will eventually remove Apple CarPlay and Android Auto from all future vehicles, including gasoline and hybrid models, as it transitions toward a fully integrated in-house infotainment ecosystem powered by Google’s Android Automotive OS.
Barra noted that the decision was made from customer feedback of the CarPlay-integrated infotainment systems being “clunky,” adding that GM “decided that we needed to have a great system in the vehicle that allowed people to have one system.” However, in the same interview, the GM CEO noted that it is still closely collaborating with Apple on technology integration.
“I would say we have a good relationship with Apple. I mean, at the most senior level with Apple, with Google, with all of the tech companies,” she said. “We’re bringing Apple Wallet. We’ll be announcing that shortly, that we’ll have that and have the ability to do some of the vehicle functions through that. So we’re having continual conversations with Apple, and I would say we’re talking about the opportunity and looking for win-wins.”
Final thoughts
Digital keys are one of those features that are slowly becoming a mark of premium brands, especially as luxury rivals like BMW, Mercedes, Audi, and even Genesis and Hyundai fall into the mix as well.
We do not know when or which Cadillac models will see Apple Car Key integration, but the potential adoption could help enhance its luxury image, especially as it transitions into a lineup of tech-focused luxury EVs of various sizes. It would certainly feel cool to use an iPhone to unlock an Escalade IQ or OPTIQ.
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