Apple's New Patent Might Replace Your Car Keys With Your iPhone

[dgstorm]

Imagine the idea that your iPhone is both your wallet and your keys. We could get to a point in the near future where you don't need to fumble around for a wallet or keys because Apple is working on a patent to take us there. The image above is a patent design that Apple is working on to be able to unlock and activate your car with your iPhone instead of keys.

Of course, there are some obvious caveats to technology like this. One, what would happen if your iPhone battery died? This can be surmounted though. Apple would simply need to include an RFID sensor in the iPhone which can be "mated" to your auto. This would require the auto to use the newer and fancier push button RFID key fobs. Basically your iPhone would need to act like an auto key fob.

The other hiccup is that we would also need to implement something like this for the home to go completely "key free." Although, actually, you can get this type of technology already. Electronic locks have become inexpensive enough that you can find them at Lowes or Home Depot and have them installed in your home.

Despite these advances, we are probably quite a few years from a cashless, wallet-less, keyless society, but it's good to see that Apple is being forward thinking and continues to push the technological envelope. Before we reach that "holy grail" of connected living, it would still be pretty handy to have your iPhone work as a key for your car. What do you guys think?

Source: Autoblog