• The 2026 Polestar 3 gets a new Nvidia processor.
• Existing owners will get the new silicon as a complimentary hardware upgrade.
• Apple Digital Key support is also coming to the Polestar 3 via an OTA software update.

The Polestar 3 is getting two big updates, both on the software and hardware front. For starters, the all-electric crossover will get an over-the-air software update that will allow owners to use an Apple iPhone or Apple Watch to lock and unlock the car.

That’s called a digital key and it’s stored in the same digital Wallet that’s used for airplane boarding passes, concert tickets and credit cards. The news comes just one day after Samsung announced the Polestar 3 would get its Digital Key functionality. The Polestar 4 will also get this feature soon.

For iPhone users, the digital keys can be shared with up to five other users, and the owner can decide what privileges these users get. For instance, one user could only have permission to lock and unlock the car, while another user could also get permission to drive the EV. Furthermore, digital keys can also be shared from an iPhone to an Android smartphone.

To use the feature, owners need to have an iPhone 11 or later with the latest version of iOS or an Apple Watch Series 6 or later with the latest version of watchOS.

The second, possibly more important update has to do with the Polestar 3’s hardware. That’s because the mass-market EV will get a new, more powerful processor for the 2026 model year, with the current Nvidia Drive AGX Xavier silicon dropped in favor of the newer Nvidia Drive AGX Orin processor.

What’s more, Polestar said all existing owners of the Polestar 3 will also get the hardware upgrade for free, which is a pretty big deal. “The ability to upgrade the hardware of our cars when new technologies become available is the perfect demonstration of our commitment to deliver the very best ownership experience to our customers,” said Michael Lohscheller, Polestar CEO. “With the Orin processor upgrade, the already outstanding Polestar 3 gets even better.”

To get the new hardware, owners will have to schedule an appointment at an authorized Polestar service center. The company said customers will be notified when the new processor is available to be fitted.

The U.S.-made Polestar 3 starts at $68,900 including destination. The entry-level trim has a 111-kilowatt-hour battery pack, a single rear motor and an EPA-estimated driving range of 350 miles on a full charge.