Volvo wants to be the first automaker to use a smartphone in lieu of a key. The Chinese-owned Swedish automaker plans on slowly rolling out a mobile phone application enabling the user’s smartphone to have all the functionality of a keyfob. The release will be subjected to testing this year, and it will be rolled out to consumers gradually to help ease the inevitable problems.

The idea of replacing a key with a smartphone app is not new -- Tesla, BMW, and other manufacturers have varying degrees of smartphone-enabled control already available. Volvo simply plans on being the first to have its users feel comfortable leaving the fob at home.

There are concerns about using a commonly stolen and/or destroyed piece of technology as the only way to lock, unlock and start your new Volvo. The app will also allow users to transfer keys among family and friends, with transferred keys able to be permanently stored on a user’s device.

While there are obvious security and technological issues with the latest Volvo push for connectivity, it is a novel idea. However, until phones become more secure and have better battery life, we'll be taking the fob along.

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