Are YOU Ready To Ditch Your Key Fob? Apple Watch Said To Replace Your Car Keys

Announced this past week, Apple has planned a "secret" event for March 9. Although it is a "secret" everyone knows the deal.

Here comes the Apple Watch.

As of now there's a bit of speculation surrounding its possible capabilities, and a heaping of "why would I need a connected watch?" Having watched Apple create devices that were seemingly simple and not really necessary, and then become integrated into our daily lives, I am expecting this to surprise us in a multitude of ways.

I get this vibe from the latest story put together by the U.K.'s The Telegraph. That's because Tim Cook gave several examples of what the all-new Apple product will be capable of.

One of them was replacing car keys.

...There will be lots of other potentially revolutionary uses. The watch is designed to be able to replace car keys and the clumsy, large fobs that are now used by many vehicles, Cook told The Telegraph. This could be a major development and will reinforce the view that Apple is circling the automotive market...

While I don't believe I'll be one of the first adopters picking up an Apple Watch — right now I enjoy swapping between my automatics: a Bell & Ross BR02-92 Blue and a Maratac Big Pilot — I will say this does have me intrigued.

What about YOU, Spies? Are you going to be getting in line for the Apple Watch? Would you welcome it replacing your car keys?

...The big event on 9 March will showcase the Apple Watch; and it will be launched to consumers in April. Cook, needless to say, is already wearing his new Apple Watch. He couldn't even contemplate living without it anymore, he says.

"I'm now so used to getting all my notifications and all my messages," he says. "It's so incredible just to do this...
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MDarringer - 2/28/2015 8:09:33 PM

0 Boost

so your apple watch loses power and strands you from your car.

Agent00R - 2/28/2015 8:51:04 PM

0 Boost

Pretty sure that wouldn't be the case.

It would most likely be controlled via an app that you'd have in the cloud and accessible via iPhone + Apple Watch, or seamlessly work with a key on your person.

MDarringer - 3/1/2015 11:33:36 AM

+2 Boost

This is merely creating a solution to a problem that does not exist.

MDarringer - 2/28/2015 8:13:42 PM

-3 Boost

Apple doesn't realize Google has upstaged them. A Chromebook does what a Mac laptop can do for 1/5 the price. I'm a 100% Mac bigot, but I just took all the operations I own outright to Chromebook.

iWatch is just masturbatory idiocy.

Sciros - 3/1/2015 2:18:57 AM

+1 Boost

If all you do with your laptop is watch youtube and work on google drive then sure. Otherwise you need an actual OS that can, you know, do things. If I tried to replace my development macbook pro with a chromebook I'd pretty much be unable to do any work at all.

That said, the iWatch is probably not worth the money for whatever second-screen niceties it provides. I also wonder about its battery life. I have a Pebble smartwatch and I charge it maybe once a week.

MDarringer - 3/1/2015 10:11:15 PM

-1 Boost

WRONG! The Chromebook is as robust as a full-scale computer. You're just uinintelligent.

jeffgall - 3/1/2015 8:37:57 AM

0 Boost

Apple watch shows absolutely no value to me. If I were to consider one, I would wait until gen 2 or 3 where the innovation actually starts to happen. Plus you will look like a nerd wearing it.

With that said, I rather the phone I am already carrying unlock my car than another electronic accessory.

ParadoX - 3/1/2015 12:49:52 PM

+1 Boost

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Keys should not be something that requires a battery or have the ability to be hacked. It should be a good old fashioned piece of metal with a plastic blob on the end to hold on to.

Agent00R - 3/1/2015 2:57:06 PM

0 Boost

I agree with this; however, I am going to wait until I see/hear all the details via the keynote.

MDarringer - 3/1/2015 10:12:34 PM

-1 Boost

As for the cloud bullshit...why have an iWatch if it can't replace the iPhone?

TheSteve - 3/1/2015 9:17:36 PM

+1 Boost

Hey folks, we'll learn very soon whether the iWatch is a boon or a bust. I'll be surprised if it sells in meaningful numbers.

Fun story:

Mike, a man waiting for his flight at the airport, asks another another gent what time it is. The man puts down his heavy suitcase, looks at his watch, and says, "it's exactly 3:36 pm... do you want to know if you're flight's on time?"

Mike says, "Sure! I'm flying American 1258 to San Francisco."

The man taps his watch a few times. "Ooooh, you'll be here for a while. Your flight's delayed 3 hours due to mechanical issues. And you'll miss your connection in Chicago. But you still have time to switch to American 2285 and get to San Francisco on time."

"Wow," says mike. "That's cool."

"Yeah! Oh, and you better buy an umbrella. There's a cold front moving in, so by the time you land, it'll be raining hard."

"Jeeze. Can you tell all that from your watch?"

"Yup" says the man. "It's an iWatch prototype. It's incredible. Look here..." he taps on his iWatch a few times, "I can even tell that check-in has accidentally routed your luggage to Jacksonville, Florida, so it won't be going with you anyway. Do you want me to fix that for you?"

Mike is mightily impressed. "Dude! I have to have your watch! I'll buy it from you."

"Sorry," says the man, "I'm really attached to it. Besides, I'm an Apple employee, so I'm not even supposed to show you this stuff."

"I'll give you a thousand bucks." says Mike, but the man just picks up his suitcase and prepares to go.

"Ten thousand. Cash," says Mike. The man pauses.

"Twenty thousand, and that's my final offer," says Mike.

The man pauses for a few seconds, looks around to make sure nobody is watching, puts down his suitcase, and gives Mike the watch. Mike hands over the twenty grand, smiles, and starts walking away. From behind him, a voice calls out. Mike turns around to see the guy running towards him with his enormous suitcase.

"Hey man, for twenty grand, you also get the battery pack!", and hands mike the suitcase.