[5TH5ER]

My new 550 was scheduled for production beginning of July and I was looking forward to having a digital key as a standard feature. Clearly, a keyfob isn't more sophisticated piece of electronics than a smartphone: It's a great idea to use a smartphone and not carry that extra thing in your pocket.
Well, my excitement went away the day I took delivery of my car.
Set-up was a no issue. Time to check it out in action, and when I started running into drawbacks.
First off, both the keycard and smartphone refused to lock/unlock the door: only to start engine. With some research, I found that both need to be held in a very specific way: directly against the center of door handle and at a certain angle. Inch off- it won't work.
Comfort access is no longer an option: don't expect to approach your car and just pull on the handle like you would do with the keyfob in your pocket. Yes, you need to get your hone out the pocket and place the top on the door handle. That is especially joyful if you have hands full and/or when it's raining. You will no longer use your foot to open the trunk to put your groceries in. Now you need to put the groceries on the ground, walk to the driver's door pull out your phone, open the door and push the trunk release button, puck up dirty groceries and walk back to the trunk.
Once in the car, the phone or keycard need to be place in the charging tray to be able to start the engine- it's ok just another exercise and item to forget when you leave the vehicle.
The feature when you can lock/unlock the car by approaching or walking away will obviously not work.
All in all- after playing with it for 3 days, I'm back to carrying my fob. The digital key is a nice backup feature at best in case you misplaced your key and have no time looking for it. Otherwise there is nothing convenient about it.
At least that's my experience.
I'm curious what other folks on here think about it.

Otherwise- loving my car!

[Wivenhoe]

After reading the downside to it I can only think of two advantages - handy if you lose your key and being able to send the key to someone else to drive the car. I wouldn’t be happy to send the key to someone else as I’m not sure how you can prevent it being used in the future or hacked !

[ifr]

Good assessment.

Definitely not ready for prime time but useful in niche scenarios such as swimming/surfing with nowhere secure to leave your keys.

The Apple Watch will be particularly useful in this case.

Roll-on the next iteration where you can hopefully leave it in your pocket!

[5TH5ER]

Originally Posted by Wivenhoe

After reading the downside to it I can only think of two advantages - handy if you lose your key and being able to send the key to someone else to drive the car. I wouldn’t be happy to send the key to someone else as I’m not sure how you can prevent it being used in the future or hacked !

Good point- but you might need to explain in every detail the whole device handling protocol to the person who never tried it. It's quite finicky.

[mffarrell]

I thought that instead of comfort access, the car would have a facial recognition feature that would automatically unlock the doors? That’s what the Bmw genius told me.

But at least you have remote start and RSU. Us 2020 owners got screwed as we were promised RSU and other features but got something call idrive 7 lite.

[malpatti]

Yes - not particularly useful compared to Comfort Access. I believe there is an update to the digital key spec for next year's models (MY 2022) that will have the same capability as comfort access. That's what Apple said at their keynote for their developer conference.

[Wivenhoe]

BMW seem to make a great noise about new functions which in reality are either still being developed or not available. As a result of press releases regards ID7, when I ordered my car last August I was categorically told by UK Customer Service that as it would have ID7 it would have RSU, Drive Recorder and Reverse Assistant all as the G20. That didn’t go well.

They have announced and launched the ‘superior new app’ - My BMW. It has Climate & Charge Timer (on my 530e) + Remote 3D View as “coming soon” yet the existing Connected Drive app has these functions. Their suggestion is to use both apps, when asked when the CD app would be pulled they are reported as saying - soon.

It looks to me that BMW have adopted the digital key to get in on the Apple announcement without fully developing it into a usable function, then sorting it over the next 6 months. I am sure that when they sort it, cars with the existing function won’t be upgraded to the functioning system ‘due to lack of the necessary equipment’.

[5TH5ER]

Originally Posted by Wivenhoe

BMW seem to make a great noise about new functions which in reality are either still being developed or not available. As a result of press releases regards ID7, when I ordered my car last August I was categorically told by UK Customer Service that as it would have ID7 it would have RSU, Drive Recorder and Reverse Assistant all as the G20. That didn’t go well.

They have announced and launched the ‘superior new app’ - My BMW. It has Climate & Charge Timer (on my 530e) + Remote 3D View as “coming soon” yet the existing Connected Drive app has these functions. Their suggestion is to use both apps, when asked when the CD app would be pulled they are reported as saying - soon.

It looks to me that BMW have adopted the digital key to get in on the Apple announcement without fully developing it into a usable function, then sorting it over the next 6 months. I am sure that when they sort it, cars with the existing function won’t be upgraded to the functioning system ‘due to lack of the necessary equipment’.

What gets me is that making the digital key performing as conventional fob does not require any more advanced hardware that's already available. Almost like the annoying limitations have been introduced for no good reason.

[LogicalApex]

Originally Posted by Wivenhoe

BMW seem to make a great noise about new functions which in reality are either still being developed or not available. As a result of press releases regards ID7, when I ordered my car last August I was categorically told by UK Customer Service that as it would have ID7 it would have RSU, Drive Recorder and Reverse Assistant all as the G20. That didn’t go well.

They have announced and launched the ‘superior new app’ - My BMW. It has Climate & Charge Timer (on my 530e) + Remote 3D View as “coming soon” yet the existing Connected Drive app has these functions. Their suggestion is to use both apps, when asked when the CD app would be pulled they are reported as saying - soon.

It looks to me that BMW have adopted the digital key to get in on the Apple announcement without fully developing it into a usable function, then sorting it over the next 6 months. I am sure that when they sort it, cars with the existing function won’t be upgraded to the functioning system ‘due to lack of the necessary equipment’.

Sounds about right...

Apple will also be adding the software bits for the better version next year. That doesn't mean BMW will even update their hardware next year. They had the phot op and may decide to update it with the next 5 series platform.

[DBV1]

I have also tried the Digital Key the last couple days. Positives, are that it is nice not having to carry a car key and when using my AW watch it makes opening my BMW’s door very easy.

The negatives are as discussed, no comfort access or proximity access, Apple has already said they would be out next year.

It will be perfect next year, but still is better than not having it this year and I am going to keep using it for a while.