In recent months we've seen the development of so-called "smart watches" by the likes of Samsung, Nissan and — the latest — Mercedes-Benz. While Samsungs was developed for everyday use, the Nissan and Mercedes watches are obviously intended to connect buyers to their vehicles.
Now it seems that BMW is getting in on the action via it's all-new key fob for the i8. But don't expect it to come standard as we've seen two different variants of the key through studio shots. The high-tech version looks like the one you may want though.
Looking a lot like a cell phone readout — before they all became big glass screens — the i8's display in the photos shows the battery life — of the vehicle or key is not known yet — electric and gasoline range of the vehicle, if the car is fully charged and if it is "connected" via the port in the center console.
That said, we're a bit curious of two things:
1) Would you buy the key above for the added convenience?
2) Is this BMW's way of taking on the likes of Nissan and Mercedes-Benz's smart watch initiatives?
What say you, Spies?
We trust you’re saving your pennies for the super cool BMW i8 cause not only is this hybrid sweet to look at but it comes with a key fob that is more than likely smarter than you. Take a look at your car key and it probably has buttons to unlock doors and maybe a panic button, yawn. BMW’s i8 key has a high resolution screen that displays any information that you might want to know about the car. Battery charge and miles remaining mean you will never be stranded on the side of the road next to a very pretty $135,000 paperweight. This thing will even control the temp inside the car before you get in. There is even a miniature docking station for the key which looks right at home in front of the shifter. BMW i8, for the win.
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