Forget Android — This Phone Can Start Your Car

You think the iPhone or maybe the new Android G1 phone is powerful? Wait till you see what Japan is cooking up in its latest mobile device.

A new phone about to be revealed by Sharp and NTT DoCoMo has a built-in “Intelligent Key.” Why, you might ask, is it so intelligent? It lets you open your car door and start your engine without ever lifting a finger. Once you set the system up, the phone will automatically unlock the door when you get within a certain distance — then, if you so choose, start ‘er up once you get inside.

Nissan has been working on the technology for a while, but this will mark the first time it’s been built into a cell phone, the companies say. The technology is expected to be unveiled at a conference next week.

Maybe the rest of us will get to try it in another decade. Or three.