The smartphone is the Swiss Army Knife of the modern times. It has the potential to become the single thing you bring with you whenever you leave your house.
Prior to the introduction of smartphones, most people would carry with them a watch, a wallet (or purse), and a set of keys. Smartphones have eliminated the need for the watch. With online photo albums, digital payments, and digital cards, the need for a wallet (or purse) may soon disappear as well. But what of the keys?
I think it’s only a matter of time before you can use your phone to start your car. And once people start using their phones to start their cars, it’s a slippery slope to linking other car features to the internet cloud.
Imagine this scenario. As you approach your car, you tap a button on your smartphone and use your fingerprint to confirm your choice. The doors to your car unlock. You take a seat inside your car and immediately place your phone into a special dock on your car dashboard. Your car starts and retrieves your personal settings from your phone. The seats and mirrors automatically adjust, the climate control inside the car changes to your personal preferences, and the speakers start playing your favorite podcasts or music. Your car is now one with your smartphone.
Not only that, but this car also has self-driving and AI capabilities. Everything is voice-activated. Everything is “smart.” Your dashboard display panels show information processed through your phone. As you drive, your car is part of a network of other drivers in your vicinity. Your car communicates and shares information with the cars around you so it can avoid traffic and hazards. And because your car is “aware” of the cars near it (and the other cars are aware of your car), it can take emergency measures to avoid collisions.
If you ever get pulled over by the police, your license and registration are stored on your phone. In fact, all of the documentation including car manuals and insurance information are stored on your phone, and easily sharable with police officers or other drivers.
All of these features can be controlled by your smartphone. Car keys would become a relic of the past.
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