Apple execs explain how Apple Watch could replace your wallet and keys

Posted:
in Apple Watch edited June 2021
A pair of Apple executives detail how an Apple Watch could replace a user's wallet and physical car keys with new features in watchOS 8.

Credit: Andrew O'Hara, AppleInsider
Credit: Andrew O'Hara, AppleInsider


Deidre Caldbeck, Apple's director of Apple Watch product marketing, and Kevin Lynch, Apple vice president of technology, recently spoke with Yahoo about the new digital Wallet features in the company's upcoming watchOS 8 update.

Caldbeck didn't shy away from saying that Apple's ultimate goal will be to replace physical wallets with digital devices.

"This is kind of our vision for eventually replacing the physical wallet where you just have everything you need right on your wrist," Caldbeck said.

Lynch, however, admitted that progress toward that goal is still in its nascent stages. At its WWDC 21 conference earlier in June, Apple first detailed how its Wallet platform will support identification cards and driver's licenses when it's released in watchOS 8.

"You'll be able to have it in your Wallet. You can see your ID there like your other cards. And then you can present that if you choose to, for example, TSA," Lynch said. "Very much like how Apple Pay works, you can digitally present it, and the information can show up for the person who is looking at your ID. And we manage which information is available to which person. Kind of like you do in [the Health app]."

Of course, this assumes that state governments will support the feature. Each state will likely have different rules on how it approaches digital licenses, and it'll take time for the technology to roll out on a broader scale.

Additionally, Lynch explained how users will be able to lock, unlock, and start up their vehicles using an Apple Watch running watchOS 8.

"It's a lot of fun to be able to just walk up to your car and have it unlock and then drive. I think where we're at right now, with this kind of keys to the world type thing that we're working on here with Apple Watch," he said.

Of course, this depends on a vehicle supporting NFC and Ultra Wideband connections. Users will also need an up-to-date Apple Watch -- anything older than the Apple Watch Series 6 won't support the feature.

Apple's watchOS 8 is currently in its beta testing phase. A full release to the public is expected later in 2021.

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patchythepirate

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 18
    I really hope Apple will see the strategic adoption value in offering a free “validation” app — the means to verify one of their new, ISO-spec digital IDs and traditional, plastic IDs— for both Android and iOS.

    Digital ID is a massive chicken and the egg problem … sure, they can sit back and just offer part of the equation, but man it’d be great to get this stuff going sooner rather than later.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 18
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,844member
    I really hope Apple will see the strategic adoption value in offering a free “validation” app — the means to verify one of their new, ISO-spec digital IDs and traditional, plastic IDs— for both Android and iOS.

    Digital ID is a massive chicken and the egg problem … sure, they can sit back and just offer part of the equation, but man it’d be great to get this stuff going sooner rather than later.
    My backwaters state of Louisiana has full statewide support for digital IDs, and it’s required to accept them. More, the app that holds the ID, is also a validation tool to validate other users/IDs. If Louisiana can do it, anyone can….and will.
    edited June 2021 patchythepiratewilliamlondonGeorgeBMacright_said_fredwatto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 18
    neutrino23neutrino23 Posts: 1,561member
    I’m OK with a digital ID working like a credit card; I wave my hand over a reader and get verified. I’m leery of handing over my iPhone to anyone.
    pulseimagestyler82mike1byronlwatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 18
    Yeah, who wants to hand over their phone to a cop, who will dutifully take it back to their car, hack it and dump all it's contents while ostensibly "checking your id"...
    byronlwatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 18
    JaiOh81JaiOh81 Posts: 60member
    Yeah, who wants to hand over their phone to a cop, who will dutifully take it back to their car, hack it and dump all it's contents while ostensibly "checking your id"...
    I think it would be more like a boarding pass now. You can get all the info without unlocking your phone. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 18
    mattinozmattinoz Posts: 2,299member
    They should start by making it replace my phone. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 18
    dcgoodcgoo Posts: 280member
    JaiOh81 said:
    Yeah, who wants to hand over their phone to a cop, who will dutifully take it back to their car, hack it and dump all it's contents while ostensibly "checking your id"...
    I think it would be more like a boarding pass now. You can get all the info without unlocking your phone. 
    Especially since the article was discussing using your watch, not your phone. 

    watto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 18
    mike1mike1 Posts: 3,275member
    JaiOh81 said:
    Yeah, who wants to hand over their phone to a cop, who will dutifully take it back to their car, hack it and dump all it's contents while ostensibly "checking your id"...
    I think it would be more like a boarding pass now. You can get all the info without unlocking your phone. 
    Part of any eventual process would be the police officer scanning a QR-like code that is part of your ID and taking that back to the car or wherever to check your info. No need to hand over your phone.

    byronlwatto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 18
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,911member
    mike1 said:
    JaiOh81 said:
    Yeah, who wants to hand over their phone to a cop, who will dutifully take it back to their car, hack it and dump all it's contents while ostensibly "checking your id"...
    I think it would be more like a boarding pass now. You can get all the info without unlocking your phone. 
    Part of any eventual process would be the police officer scanning a QR-like code that is part of your ID and taking that back to the car or wherever to check your info. No need to hand over your phone.

    That was my thought - if the license records are stored in a state database, all they need to do is have the number to look it up. In many ways this would be more secure since fake license cards would be exposed. 

    Eventually this would be nice - a lot of times the only reason I bring my wallet with is for my driver’s license, but If Apple wants to move this way they need to improve the security of Apple Watch and Apple Pay needs to become more widely accepted. I still need to use a card in about half the stores I frequent and at all of the gas stations. 
    byronl
  • Reply 10 of 18
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    For me, the watch is most of the way there already:   It's largely replaced my phone and credit card -- and house keys.

    But, adding the unlocking of my car and using it for ID and related items (like health care cards) would be a big step forward.
    Right now I use a wallet case for my phone that contains a spare credit card (for the few places that don't take Apple Pay) and my driver's license.   I also keep my health care and AAA cards in my car for emergency use.  And I would love to dump all of that if it could be stuffed into my phone.

    I'm actually carrying theft & loss coverage on my phone because, since my watch already does so much, I've gotten out of the habit of carrying my phone and I worry that I'll leave it somewhere one of these days.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 18
    Mariner8Mariner8 Posts: 33member
    25 years ago I was fantasizing about a single credit-type card that would work for everything — credit cards, driver’s license, library card, the works.  I think we’re there, or just about there. Amazing. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 18
    Mariner8Mariner8 Posts: 33member
    … I have a 3-inch stack of cards in a box that I no longer need to carry these days - airline and hotel membership cards, grocery store cards, the works. The next step is the whole works on the watch and context-sensitive selection of what card(s) pop up when you walk into a store, library, etc. We’re close. 
    GeorgeBMacwatto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 18
    spice-boyspice-boy Posts: 1,450member
    My keys never need to be charged, so staying with them.
    beowulfschmidt
  • Reply 14 of 18
    AppleZuluAppleZulu Posts: 1,989member
    mike1 said:
    JaiOh81 said:
    Yeah, who wants to hand over their phone to a cop, who will dutifully take it back to their car, hack it and dump all it's contents while ostensibly "checking your id"...
    I think it would be more like a boarding pass now. You can get all the info without unlocking your phone. 
    Part of any eventual process would be the police officer scanning a QR-like code that is part of your ID and taking that back to the car or wherever to check your info. No need to hand over your phone.

    Indeed, they’ll definitely need to sort out with great clarity where the line is between consent to get license/registration/insurance info from a watch or phone and consent to access anything else on the same device. I’ve wondered about this already, as my insurance company’s app will produce onscreen proof of insurance, but when doing so, the phone is unlocked. Not sure if there’s been any test yet as to whether handing a device over to show insurance could then be interpreted as consent to look at everything else on the unlocked device.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 18
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    spice-boy said:
    My keys never need to be charged, so staying with them.

    You need to get with the times!  Geez!  You're probably still using cash to pay for things!
  • Reply 16 of 18
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    AppleZulu said:
    mike1 said:
    JaiOh81 said:
    Yeah, who wants to hand over their phone to a cop, who will dutifully take it back to their car, hack it and dump all it's contents while ostensibly "checking your id"...
    I think it would be more like a boarding pass now. You can get all the info without unlocking your phone. 
    Part of any eventual process would be the police officer scanning a QR-like code that is part of your ID and taking that back to the car or wherever to check your info. No need to hand over your phone.

    Indeed, they’ll definitely need to sort out with great clarity where the line is between consent to get license/registration/insurance info from a watch or phone and consent to access anything else on the same device. I’ve wondered about this already, as my insurance company’s app will produce onscreen proof of insurance, but when doing so, the phone is unlocked. Not sure if there’s been any test yet as to whether handing a device over to show insurance could then be interpreted as consent to look at everything else on the unlocked device.
    If you need to fear police then either you're doing something wrong or they are.
    In either case, that's the problem and it needs fixed -- not the phone.

    watto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 18
    AppleZulu said:
    mike1 said:
    JaiOh81 said:
    Yeah, who wants to hand over their phone to a cop, who will dutifully take it back to their car, hack it and dump all it's contents while ostensibly "checking your id"...
    I think it would be more like a boarding pass now. You can get all the info without unlocking your phone. 
    Part of any eventual process would be the police officer scanning a QR-like code that is part of your ID and taking that back to the car or wherever to check your info. No need to hand over your phone.

    Indeed, they’ll definitely need to sort out with great clarity where the line is between consent to get license/registration/insurance info from a watch or phone and consent to access anything else on the same device. I’ve wondered about this already, as my insurance company’s app will produce onscreen proof of insurance, but when doing so, the phone is unlocked. Not sure if there’s been any test yet as to whether handing a device over to show insurance could then be interpreted as consent to look at everything else on the unlocked device.
    If you need to fear police then either you're doing something wrong or they are.
    In either case, that's the problem and it needs fixed -- not the phone.


    Sure, but already cops have been found to have scrubbed through peoples phones and copied pics off them, and likely other stuff as well.  And it doesn't matter if the phone is locked or not, as police already have software for hacking into phones that are locked.  Handing over your phone to them at least gets them whatever data is on the phone, and then it's a tossup as to whether the data is theirs to use in court (ie, if handing it over implies consent to search the device/"it's in plain sight").

    If instead your phone/watch just displays something like a QR code that JUST has your DL#/insurance #/whatever id #, and the other part has their own device that only scans it, and the phone/watch doesn't leave your possession, that's more reasonable.
    Detnator
  • Reply 18 of 18
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    AppleZulu said:
    mike1 said:
    JaiOh81 said:
    Yeah, who wants to hand over their phone to a cop, who will dutifully take it back to their car, hack it and dump all it's contents while ostensibly "checking your id"...
    I think it would be more like a boarding pass now. You can get all the info without unlocking your phone. 
    Part of any eventual process would be the police officer scanning a QR-like code that is part of your ID and taking that back to the car or wherever to check your info. No need to hand over your phone.

    Indeed, they’ll definitely need to sort out with great clarity where the line is between consent to get license/registration/insurance info from a watch or phone and consent to access anything else on the same device. I’ve wondered about this already, as my insurance company’s app will produce onscreen proof of insurance, but when doing so, the phone is unlocked. Not sure if there’s been any test yet as to whether handing a device over to show insurance could then be interpreted as consent to look at everything else on the unlocked device.
    If you need to fear police then either you're doing something wrong or they are.
    In either case, that's the problem and it needs fixed -- not the phone.
    There is no police officer on the planet who is not also a person, and people are fallible.  Minimum required level of permission is a pretty standard idea in tech.
    muthuk_vanalingam
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