Digital car keys are transforming how we interact with our vehicles, offering convenience and enhanced security through smartphone integration. Samsung's latest expansion of its Wallet service marks a significant step in this digital transformation of car access and control.
Samsung Wallet's Latest Integration
Samsung has announced a significant expansion of its digital car key functionality, now including support for Volvo and Polestar vehicles. This development brings Samsung Wallet closer to feature parity with Google Wallet, which has been offering similar capabilities for these automakers since mid-2024. The integration leverages advanced technologies including Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), NFC, and Ultra-Wideband (UWB) to enable seamless vehicle access and control.
Vehicle and Regional Availability
The initial rollout is specifically targeted at two premium electric vehicles: the Volvo EX90 and the Polestar 3. Volvo support is available across Europe, North America, Latin America, Australia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Polestar functionality is accessible in a slightly different set of regions, including Europe, North America, Latin America, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Samsung has indicated that support for additional vehicle models is in development.
Regional Availability: Volvo: Europe, North America, Latin America, Australia, Malaysia, Thailand Polestar: Europe, North America, Latin America, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore
Device Compatibility and Technology
The digital key feature is supported on a wide range of Samsung devices, including the Galaxy S20 series and newer flagship phones, as well as devices from the Galaxy Note 20 series onward. For foldable devices, compatibility begins with models released after the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Z Flip 5G. The implementation utilizes Samsung's EAL6+ security certification to ensure protected access and secure key sharing between Galaxy devices.
Compatible Samsung Devices:
- Galaxy S20 series and newer
- Galaxy Note 20 series and newer
- Galaxy Z Fold devices after Z Fold 2
- Galaxy Z Flip devices after Z Flip 5G
Enhanced User Experience
The digital key functionality enables users to lock, unlock, and start their vehicles using their smartphones. A particularly useful feature is the ability to share digital keys with other Galaxy device users, offering flexible access management for families or businesses. The combination of UWB and NFC technologies provides both convenient proximity-based functions and tap-to-unlock capabilities, streamlining the vehicle access experience.