Phones as Car Keys, TV Remotes Lead Google's Android Plans for 2021

Quick pairing, virtual remote control and digital keys are among Android announcements at Google’s virtual I/O event this week through Thursday. It's working with carmakers to develop a digital car key in Android 12 that will let owners of select Pixel and Samsung Galaxy smartphones lock, unlock and start a car from their phones, blogged Android Vice President-Engineering Erik Kay Tuesday. It's teaming with BMW and others to enable the feature in upcoming models.

The feature operates over ultra wideband so users won’t have to take out their phone to use it as a car key, Kay said. Cars with near-field communication can be unlocked with a tap, he said. “Since it’s all digital, you can also securely and remotely share your car key with friends and family if they need to borrow your car,” he said.

Android Auto, meanwhile, is available in over 100 million cars, and most new vehicles from carmakers including General Motors, Ford and Honda will support the next-generation Android Auto wireless, Kay said: "No more cords.”

Google is building TV remote-control features into Android phones “so you can watch your favorite show even if your actual remote is missing,” said Kay. Users can call up the phone’s keyboard to enter text to plug in a password or type a movie title in a search, he said. The built-in remote is due to roll out this year when it will work instantly on some 80 million Android and Google TVs.

Google's Fast Pair feature, which has been used over 36 million times to connect an Android phone to Bluetooth accessories, is expanding to more devices, including BMW and Ford cars and Beats headphones, Kay said. Fast Pair enables users to connect to earbuds, speakers, wearables or cars with one tap, he said, noting the average person has eight connected devices, expected to grow to 13 by next year.

Chromebook users can manage their Android phones via the recently released Phone Hub, even if the phone is in another room, Kay said. They can receive and respond to text messages, check battery life and turn on a hot spot. Phone Hub shows Chrome browser tabs that are opened on the paired phone “so you can pick up where you left off.”

A Google research project, Project Starline, has the goal of creating a sense of “being together” even while users are cities or countries apart, blogged Clay Bavor, vice president-virtual and augmented reality. Video conferencing tools have advanced, but “they're all a far cry from actually sitting down and talking face to face,” said Bavor. He described Project Starline as a “magic window” through which a user can see another person, “life-size and in three dimensions. You can talk naturally, gesture and make eye contact.”

Researchers are using computer vision, machine learning, spatial audio and real-time compression to develop Starline, Bavor said. Google also developed a light-field display system that creates a sense of volume and depth that can be experienced without the need for special glasses or headsets. “The effect is the feeling of a person sitting just across from you, like they are right there," he said.

Google is testing Starline in several of its offices with custom-built hardware and specialized equipment. It hopes to make the technology more affordable and accessible, “including bringing some of these technical advancements into our suite of communication products,” said Bavor. The company has been doing demonstrations with enterprise healthcare and media companies to get early feedback on the technology and its applications; it plans trial deployments with enterprise partners this year.