Rivian launches Apple Watch app with vehicle controls and digital key

Rivian's launch of an Apple Watch app, letting owners lock, unlock, and start their R1T or R1S from their wrist, is one of those quietly significant moves that shows where the car industry is really headed. It's not just about convenience for a hiker who doesn't want to carry a phone; it's another step in the long, slow dissolution of the physical object.The car key, like the house key before it, is becoming a piece of software, a digital token living in an ecosystem. This isn't new—BMW and Ford have similar setups—but with Rivian, a born-digital brand, it feels less like an add-on and more like a core promise of their tech-forward identity.It raises the usual, critical questions about security and system resilience that we should never stop asking, but it also highlights a broader competitive shift. For electric vehicle makers, especially in the premium space where Rivian plays, the battle is increasingly fought on software and connected services.A feature like this is a differentiator, a way to make the vehicle feel like a seamless part of your digital life. Yet, it's a fascinating niche within a niche: serving a subset of users in an already premium market, underscoring that the automotive world is fragmenting not just by powertrain, but by digital philosophy. The consolidation around Apple's ecosystem as a conduit is telling, suggesting a future where your choice of phone or watch may subtly influence your choice of car, weaving tighter the partnerships between Silicon Valley and Detroit—or in this case, Normal, Illinois.

#Electric Vehicles

#Wearable Tech

#Automotive Software

#Rivian

#Apple Watch

#Digital Key

#editorial picks

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