Now that the 8 Series badge lives again, it’s time to take a closer look at the new technologies it’s bringing to the table. The design is stunning both inside and out and the tech for the engine and suspension is cutting edge. However, in today’s world, that’s not nearly enough as we’re more and more connected and BMW is working on that, trying to ease our lives. In this regard, they created the so-called Digital Key for the new 8 Series, a new way of getting in and out of your car.
Basically, you can use your phone to lock it and unlock it, thanks to an NFC chip implemented in the car’s doors. The Digital Key employs Near Field Communication (NFC) technology to allow the new BMW 8 Series to be locked and unlocked from a smartphone too, dispensing with the need for a conventional car key. The smartphone simply has to be held up to the door handle to open the vehicle and, once inside, the engine can be started as soon as the phone has been placed in the Wireless Charging or smartphone tray. That means you’ll probably have to put it there in order to authenticate yourself, even though BMW doesn’t clearly specify this extra step.
Available via the BMW Connected App, the Digital Key also offers unrivaled flexibility, as the driver can share it with up to five other people. Unfortunately, at the moment, it only works on Samsung Galaxy phones starting with the S7 model or newer, running the Android Oreo 8.1 OS. Nevertheless, BMW is certainly going to expand the support over the following months to more models fitted with NFC chips.
Last but not least, the new 8 Series comes with Remote Software Upgrade. The Remote Software Upgrade feature keeps the vehicle up to date with the latest software. All updates can be loaded over the air, as has been customary for smartphones for some time now. The upgrades can be loaded onto the smartphone via the BMW Connected App when connected to the domestic WiFi network or also imported directly via the BMW’s built-in SIM card, which is done automatically for important vehicle upgrades. This you the trouble of paying a visit to a BMW Service Partner for updates.
