end of the key fob?

There are rumours that some auto makers are teaming up with tech companies to do away with the traditional key fobs. The main reason for this is security. Key fobs have been known to be compromised by thieves stealing security codes or it can easily be replicated with a key fob replicator machine. The idea behind better security is definitely warranted some insurance companies lose a lot of money when cars are stolen. However do away with key fobs is a real challenge. The idea is to use the smart phone to control the locking and unlocking of the car. The big problem is the smart phone is changed or upgraded more often now than before. The average ownership duration of a smart phone is 18-24 months. If the owner of the car changes his or her phone they would have to reprogram the security into the new phone and disable the old phone's function to prevent it falling into the wrong hands. If the car owner loses or damages their smart phone (which is very common these days) it would be highly troublesome if the owner of the car cannot access the car to go buy a replacement smart phone. With the traditional key fob the owner will be given a spare key fob that they can use to access the car.

The idea of replacing the key fob with the smart phone is good but it needs some serious considerations before implementation. I think it is difficult to completely do away with the key fob. I would think it would be better if they integrated the key fob functions into a smart watch and have the smart phone as a back up.

Using the smart phone to access the car doesn't make it much more secure. Smart phones have been hacked and the hackers are getting more sophisticated with their hacking easily bypassing security on the phone. There is no fool proof way of securing a car, smart car thieves will find a way to steal the car.

Car manufacturers have to outsmart the car thieves in order to secure the car. The problem is the thieves are getting smarter and they employ all kind of technology to help.