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As jijioben said, All X3's have the big push button and no F25 X3's have a key slot, except for the "emergency" mechanical keyhole in the driver's door handle.
The system actually is redundant and has (2) ways of allowing the car to start:
Normally, with a fully functional key fob with a good internal battery, the key fob sends a coded signal to the car's receiver that "unlocks" the ignition and disables the theft prevention interlocks. The car then sends a status signal to the fob, which is stored, that records the vehicle condition, mileage and any fault codes. Supposedly, the key can be read at a dealership and the condition of the car can then be evaluated without the car actually being there!
If the key fob lithium battery dies, you can still start the car by holding the bottom surface of the key fob in contact with a specially marked space on the right side of the steering column. It appears that the key fob has a coded RFID chip and if the Start/Stop button is pressed with no normal fob RF signal present, the car will then scan for the RFID chip. This is a very short-range signal so the key fob must be positioned correctly.
The F25 X3 key fob uses a primary battery that is not recharged in the vehicle (unlike some others that are recharged), so expect to have to replace the battery at some point in the future (see pp. 32 in the X3 manual).
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