Before you leave your house in the morning, you probably check your pockets for three things: your phone, keys, and wallet. But if Cupertino’s plans for Apple Watch pan out, you might just need to make sure you have one thing on you: your Apple Watch.
As part of the watchOS 8 software update, available as a public beta in the coming weeks, the Apple Watch will be able to present digital ID cards, which will eventually include licenses, and lock and unlock everything from your front door to your car.
“This is kind of our vision for eventually replacing the physical wallet where you just have everything you need…right on your wrist,” Deidre Caldbeck, director of Apple Watch product marketing, told Yahoo Finance.
Of course, you’ll need a few additional pieces of technology to make it all work as seamlessly as Apple proposes, including the appropriate Apple Watch version, compatible door locks, and, well, a car that supports the company’s wallet capabilities… But with the right pieces in place, the Apple Watch could become your wallet and keys of the future.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple replaced our wallets with the Apple Watch years ago. Keys next!
I haven’t carried a key for 3 years. The Schlage deadbolt with keypad and HomeKit integration is all you need. Works without issue.
Until it doesn’t work. 😉
Rob I appreciate your skepticism. I am the same. But I’ve had a Schlage keypad on my back door for ten years. For ten years have not carried a house key. In case it fails we have a backup plan: we have another Schlage keypad on a different door. So as long as the second keypad does not fail at the same time… we are all good! I agree that we need backup systems, but I am eager to carry fewer key fobs to unlock the cars. Also, we have had zero failures in ten years!
So if my watch is broken, lost or has dead battery, Apple wants me to lose my wallet and keys also? Yeah, right.
1st thing I thought….I’ve NEVER had to charge my wallet or keys and starting now seems idiotic.
Exactly RIGHT.
Analog is far more reliable, less effort and expense (charging), less worries (product failure), simply works flawlessly every time.
Oh honey, sorry my Apple Watch is dead and can’t get in the car to go home right now. Or at the grocery checkout as soon as my watch is recharged I’ll be able to pay. 🤣
The point is good old fashioned no maintenance keys and a wallet full of money work every time and NEVER FAILS…
Don’t like watches, even Apple Watch. Stopped wearing them over two and a half decades ago.
Sorry, Apple, not going to happen.
“Of course, you’ll need a few additional pieces of technology to make it all work as seamlessly as Apple proposes, including the appropriate Apple Watch version”
I have ZERO USE for an Apple Watch and don’t wear watches, I have an iPhone.
“compatible door locks, and, well, a car that supports the company’s wallet capabilities…”
Seriously??? I am not going to WASTE one red cent on door locks or my keys that don’t need daily charging and the battery lasts for five years.
My wallet? It’s in my pants works perfectly and also does not need daily charging or connectivity access.
Not a sycophant Apple geek and no reason to change what already works better at a lower cost, sheesh people!…
Thank you for sharing your personal use case, which is completely irrelevant to 330 million other people in America and almost 8 billion other people around the world. Just because you don’t want an Apple Watch does not mean that anybody who disagrees with you is a “sycophant Apple geek.” They have different lives and different needs.
Kind of the whole point of America once upon a time was that we were all allowed to be different. Evidently, we have now replaced that with the demand that everyone be exactly the same like the faceless mob in the “1984” commercial or the crowd at certain political rallies. If some anonymous poster on MDN thinks something is best, the rest of us are (expletive deleted) for disagreeing.
Sad.
“Thank you for sharing your personal use case, which is completely irrelevant to 330 million other people in America”
You are speaking for 330 million without their permission? Only an arrogant Leftist A-Hole know it all would LIE and make up out of thin air a FALSE STATEMENT.
Pay close attention TxUseless, I don’t give a hair off a rat’s ass what you or others think. Do you understand?
F*ck off…
Sometimes a “sycophant Apple geek” points to some sort of passion. Imagine the World without passion…Apple, or otherwise.
Even though one may not share the passion it makes your life more interesting–regardless if you perceive it.
I don’t care for the A-Watch myself–speaking of which.
As an Apple owner since my Lisa passion has been in my life for decades.
What I’m not passionate about is trusting my car keys and wallet to an expensive watch and useless purchase I don’t need to be Apple geek hip.
Not now, not ever…
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should
It’s always better to keep a mechanical override for anything electrical (and hydraulic, as planes do).
I use Apple Wallet quite a bit, but it’s still about 25% wonky in several stores so out comes the card.
My front door is electro-magnetic push button, but I always carry the key.
Convenience is one thing.
Reliability is another.
My wallet has never failed to open, and I can count the number of times my key failed to open a lock on one hand, it’s about as many times that I have an Apple-related tech problem each week. If they can make it 100% reliable then great, but given the trajectory of hardware and software becoming increasingly complex and created by stressed-out by people with decreasing IQs, I know it won’t be.
So when police ask for your drivers license you just wave your watch at them?
IMO it’s Not ready for the masses in its current state to control so much without it being a chore.. When a single charge of an Apple Watch can last a few days or close to a week, then it will be be worth the commitment to go all out.
For me, I still haven’t gotten passed notifications, brief messages, time, or whatever info that’s on the watch face. Just seems like a lot of commitment when for an 1-2 extra seconds, I can do everything on my phone with a nice big screen.