(I'm touching a bunch of topics here, so no quotes.)
On my 2016 Honda, the fob is the transmitter, running constantly at a very low power, just good enough to cover 3-4 feet. It shifts to a higher power when you press a button, letting it work at the 30-40 feet typical of old-style remote fobs. In full-time "pocket" mode, a battery lasts about 18-24 months, but I've heard of people with the same car needing a new battery every year if they use it like a remote instead of leaving it in pocket or purse. You don't need to push a button for the trunk either, as there's a button under the lip with the same 3-4 foot range.
If the battery goes dead, there's an actual key that's part of the fob to unlock the driver's door, and you then start by holding the fob right below the start button. The distance involved points to some kind of RFID reader inside the dash.
And I'm a bit surprised no one has pointed out the single best feature: you simply can not lock the "keys" inside the car. 
Last edited by Lee DeRaud; 04-01-2019 at 7:13 PM.
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"Design"? Possibly. "Intelligent"? Sure doesn't look like it from this angle.
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